From Midnight to the Medusa Cascade
by JunoInferno
Summary: The Doctor and Donna are on a honeymoon tour of the universe when there is an abrupt interruption on Midnight causing their relationship to change overnight. Can Donna help the Doctor find his way back? What else is waiting for them? Slightly to majorly a Series 4 rewrite starting at Midnight (obviously). Regarding Mrs Smith ficverse.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor or Donna which is truly unfortunate. So, this is an odd combination of Series 4 Rewrite with a decidedly shippy tone and Regarding Mrs Smith prequel. For those of you who care, it directly follows the events of Antony & Cleopatra & The Doctor & Donna. The good news is that you don't have to have read any of that to follow this, but I'm just telling anyone who wants to know, so please don't let that scare you off. I guess technically there are Series 4 spoilers, but I plan on making up a lot of stuff so... Please, please let me know what you think and happy reading.

* * *

"How are you?"

Donna woke up to find the Doctor hovering over her with a tea tray. He set it down on the bedside table and sat next to her.

What had happened? Living in the TARDIS she sometimes had a difficult time recalling precisely how events had taken shape.

Right. Soothsayer. Mark Antony with a sword sticking out of him. Pregnancy test. Bulls with no noses. Goo Monsters and to cap it all off, ending up covered in goo and vomiting.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you bleep me?"

He sighed. "No, you asked me not to and you seemed better after the medicine. Should I?"

"No."

"Okay... well, how are you?"

She nodded. "Better. Not that I could have been much worse."

"Well, then tea and dry toast," he said happily giving her a cup.

Donna sipped it and nibbled at the toast.

"I have a treat in store," he said.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know all about your treats, space man."

"No, this is a good one. A first class resort, best suite in the hotel. No, look, I've even got a brochure." He pulled something out of his breast pocket and handed it over.

"Midnight," she said, looking at it and opened the brochure. "Ooh, a spa menu."

"See? I have, on occasion, been known to do something you like."

Donna cracked a smile. "Well, it's more than just occasionally, but thank you. It looks nice."

The Doctor grinned. "We'll be there any second."

"Great." She looked at the brochure. "Oh, they have a pool."

"Honeymoon tour of the universe, luxury edition," he said.

"Do they have any restaurants?"

He frowned. "Why are you so concerned about restaurants all of a sudden? Have you been watching Gordon Ramsay again?"

"No, I just-" She felt a sudden wave of nausea and knew she didn't have the Goo Monsters to blame this time. "Excuse me."

The Doctor watched in confusion as Donna leapt up and ran into the bathroom.

"You alright, Donna?"

"Yeah! Give me a minute!," she managed to call out before lowering her head over the toilet.

* * *

Donna looked up at herself in the mirror.

She was smiling. She wasn't the sort of woman who went around unintentionally smiling. A brief stint in retail had forced her to smile and she then decided her co-workers who were capable of smiling unintentionally were all idiots of one kind or another. Working in a shop really lowered her faith in humanity. Yes, even though she had spent the past ten minutes with her head in the toilet, she was smiling. Her mind was racing with the possibilities of what was going to happen. How her family was going to react. What her mum would do after they got her off the floor after she fell unconscious.

Mostly, though, she wanted to make this perfect for the Doctor. He got to amaze and surprise her all the time, she wasn't giving this up even if the vomiting might have been a clue. She was going to get to surprise him. As much as she wanted a baby, she knew what it meant to the Doctor, how it could help heal some old wounds he had been walking around with for a very long time now. She was going to make this brilliant.

She was going to pay him back for all the amazing he'd given her.

"Donna!," the Doctor whined.

Donna walked out.

"You alright?," asked the Doctor.

"Fine," said Donna.

"We've arrived," he said happily picking up the luggage the TARDIS had packed for them.

"Good."

The Doctor took her hand and they stepped out of the TARDIS. "This is the planet Midnight. The year is forty-nine eighty."

"Why's it called Midnight?"

"Look up."

Donna looked up. There was a massive dome and it appeared to have no light, but they were surrounded by diamond fields and towers. "It's gorgeous."

"Oh, it gets better. There's a waterfall made of sapphires."

"Really?," asked Donna.

"Yep, just a four hour ride away."

"Four hours?," asked Donna. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the spa.

"Yeah, on a bus."

"Four hours on a bus?"

"We can just catch it," said the Doctor, dragging Donna. She didn't move, though.

"We haven't even been to our room yet," said Donna.

"Suite," said the Doctor.

"We just got here. Do we have to jump on a bus? Can I see this luxury suite?"

The Doctor checked his watch. "Alright..." he groaned.

* * *

The suite was very nice indeed and Donna tried to kill some time while she worked out a way to get herself out of this space bus journey.

The Doctor for his part tapped his foot impatiently and groaned aloud as she looked around. "Okay, seen the suite now, haven't we? Bed. Telly. Just like every other hotel room in recorded history. Trust me. Now, Donna, we have to hurry or we'll miss our bus."

"We just got here!," Donna protested. She opened the minibar. "Oh, look. No bananas."

Donna looked up as the Doctor produced a banana from his pocket.

"Oh, what a cliché," she said with a sigh.

"Allons-y!," he said grabbing her hand.

Unable to protest, Donna found herself dragged down to the transportation desk, which was basically a regional airport with better lighting.

"Donna..." the Doctor whined as he dragged her along to the transportation desk. There was a queue forming. There were posters for various destinations on the walls: Winter Witch Canyon, The Multifaceted Coast and...

"Four hours!," she protested.

"Sapphire Waterfall, Donna! A waterfall made of sapphire!"

"How does that even work?"

"We have to find out," the Doctor said with a glint in his eye that gave Donna the dreaded feeling she would be on a bus soon.

"I thought maybe we would relax and then have dinner."

"What is this with dinner? Why are you so concerned about dinner all of a sudden?"

"I just thought it would be nice for us to sit down and have a nice meal."

The Doctor could smell a rat, even if he didn't realize it was a rat he was smelling at the time. "We had a nice meal last night."

"Which ended with me getting covered in goo and vomiting. Let's try it without that."

"I think we ought to go off on the excursion and get your mind off food. Especially since you're not back to yourself-"

"That's just it, though. I need rest. Four hours there, four hours back. How is that any fun?"

"It's fun with you," he said with the eyes of a happy puppy.

Donna looked at the departures continuing to get the feeling she was doomed to a bus ride. She was watching as a set of parents stepped out as their bus disembarked. The two girls were covered in sick. Donna must have been staring because the mother said, "motion sickness" as if she walked around with sick-covered children all the time and it was a perfectly normal way to go through life.

She looked at the Doctor. "Do Time Lords get motion sickness?"

"No, our inner ears are completely different, accounting for our heightened sense of hearing. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," said Donna. She again covered her nose as the girls passed sincerely hoping the whole nine months wouldn't be like this.

"Well," said the Doctor, "if you're so intent on not going, I can go alone."

Donna glanced back at him. He was clearly expecting that this would elicit some sort of sympathy from her where she would just give in.

"Well," said Donna, "have fun." She stretched up to give him a kiss.

"Where are you going?," he asked equal parts disbelief and confusion.

"The spa. I've been ill all night. I need a facial."

"You don't need anything!," he protested as she walked off.

* * *

Donna quickly made her way to the spa. She signed on for the full treatment, she could use it. Running around through all of space and time was taking its toll. They showed her to a changing room where she got in a fluffy white robe and went to wait at the pool until a masseuse freed up.

She was having trouble relaxing. She still had to sort out a suitable surprise for the Doctor at dinner. What was she going to wear? What was going to finally happen when they told her family?

What was she going to do with a Time Baby?

Just in the nick of time to keep her from having a complete panic attack about the full meaning of impending motherhood, a young butler arrived with a ringing purple phone. She picked it up knowing full well who was on the other end.

"I said, no!"

"Sapphire waterfall - it's a waterfall made of sapphires! This enormous jewel, size of a glacier, reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion, and then shatters into sapphires at the edge - they fall 100,000 feet into a crystal ravine."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Donna replied.

"Oh, come on! They're boarding now! It's no fun if I see it on my own. Four hours, that's all it takes."

"No, that's four hours there and four hours back, it's like a school trip. I'd rather go sunbathing," answered Donna. God, eight hours on a space bus. Donna was getting nauseous just imagining it.

"You be careful. That's Xtonic sunlight. I don't want to hear later that you're too burned for..." his voice trailed off.

Donna smirked. "You know, you can say it to your wife especially when you're doing it."

"I will. Later."

"Besides, I'm safe. The brochure says that glass is fifteen feet thick." She paused. "You'll be back in time for dinner, though?"

"Yeah, we'll try that anti-gravity restaurant. With bibs."

Donna got ill thinking about that as well. "Any other restaurants?"

"What's wrong with the anti-gravity restaurant?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, I just want to tell you something without getting hit in the face by a strawberry tart."

"You worry too much."

She scoffed. "One of us has to."

"See you later. Love you."

"Oi! You be careful, all right?"

"Nah. Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight - what could possibly go wrong?"

Donna hung up and the butler returned to collect the phone.

"Sorry, I didn't see in the brochure if there were any contra-indications for pregnancy on the extonic sunlight?"

"Sorry, ma'am?"

"It's just my husband- he's clever when he's not being an idiot- says this sunlight is dangerous and I get the glass part and all, but I'm pregnant and I just don't want an overcooked, sunburnt baby or something. Come to think of it, the father's about as pale as I am." Donna had never thought of that before. Did Time Lords get sunburn? Was there special Time Baby suncream or could she just pick it up at Tesco?

The butler looked confused. "Why would it be overcooked?"

"Well, how should I know? It's your deadly sun, not mine." Donna sighed and got up. "Never mind. I'm going to the spa. They don't use any chemicals, do they? Is there a more detailed brochure somewhere?"

* * *

Donna awoke.

She thought she had seen the strangest program on the telly for a moment. It was just some girl with awful roots beating on the camera. As she stirred, it disappeared revealing some futuristic chat show that still managed to involve a paternity test.

After a thorough inspection of the spa menu and massage, facial, manicure, pedicure, she had fallen asleep in that sinfully fluffy robe on top of the bed. She saw the clock and immediately realized something.

It was late. The Doctor should have been back by now for dinner. Could they have gotten their signals crossed? Or maybe he had come in, seen her asleep and decided to let her continue? That scenario seemed very unlikely. She picked up the room phone.

"Front Desk."

"Hi, this is Mrs. Smith in the Sapphire Suite. I was wondering if you could connect me to the transport desk?"

There was a long pause. "Why is that?"

Donna frowned. "My husband was on the Crusader 50. I was just wondering if it got in yet."

Another long pause from the clerk. "Please hold."

Donna was on hold for ten minutes. She had spent long enough answering phones to know when she was being lied to. She hung up angrily and stormed down to the transportation desk.

"Where is my husband?," asked Donna.

The unprepared staffers looked at each other.

"I'm gonna ask it again. My husband. The Doctor. Crusader 50. He left hours ago on your stupid space bus and he's supposed to be back! Where is he?"

One of the clerks spoke timidly. "There was an accident."

"What do you mean?"

"They had to send out another bus, it's just arriving-" she said pointing at the gate.

Donna turned around. The people leaving now looked as if they had been through the ringer. Mum, Dad, teenage son. A young woman followed by an old man. Finally, the Doctor came out. He looked up at Donna with almost no expression. He just looked tired. Donna put her arms around him and held him for what seemed like a long time, but wasn't nearly long enough.

"What happened?," she asked.

The Doctor didn't answer. She followed his gaze to the family standing nearby, looking ashamed.

"Not here."

"Doctor, what happened?," she asked as she looked at the other passengers.

"Please, Donna, let's just go."

Donna took his hand and walked with him. They stopped at one of the resort's cafes. They sat down silently at a table.

"Doctor, come on. You have to tell me something." She spotted the old man from the terminal. He quickly walked away. "What was that? Why were they all looking at you like that?"

"They tried to kill me."

"What?"

"They got together and were going to throw me out an airlock."

"What happened? Tell me."

"There was a creature onboard. It possessed me. I couldn't speak... I... this resort. They'll have to close it down. Leave the planet."

"Doctor, I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I should have gone."

"Why?"

"I could have helped you."

He was looking away now. "It could have possessed you."

Donna shook her head. "Don't think about that now. What do you need me to do?"

"I have to tell them about the creature. You don't have to do that. They can build a Leisure Palace somewhere else. Let this planet keep on turning, round an Xtonic star. In silence."

"I can come with you if it will help," Donna offered.

"Just wait back in the TARDIS." He stood up.

Donna nodded. "Okay. I'll get back to the room and get our things and meet you back in the TARDIS."

He didn't answer her.

* * *

Donna went back to the room and got dressed. She stuck both fluffy robes in her suitcase. Her husband nearly getting killed, she figured she was entitled. Along those lines, she also cleaned out the snacks from the minibar. They were nice dressing gowns anyway. She packed up the rest of the things and walked out with the luggage.

The TARDIS was parked back by the transport area. There were already shuttles leaving Midnight, the resort's guests were heading out. She put the bags in and stood to wait for the Doctor.

Then she spotted that family again. The one from the Crusader 50. The woman looked over at Donna and quickly away again. They looked away from her staring at the departures gate as if it were any other day.

That made her angry.

"Oi!," she shouted.

They flinched.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you!"

Donna walked over.

"We don't want any trouble-" said the man.

"He's sorry," said the teenager. "We all are-"

Donna looked at the man. "What the hell happened on that bus? You tried to kill my husband, didn't you?"

"You weren't there. You don't understand," said the woman.

"You bet I wasn't there, lady, if I had been you would have ended up out an airlock!"

She spotted the old man. "You! What did you have to do with it?!"

"I was just there to study the waterfall..." he stammered.

"What the hell happened?!," she shouted.

"Donna."

She turned around to see that the Doctor was standing right behind her.

"Come on," he said. He wasn't even looking in their direction.

"Doctor, they tried to kill you," said Donna.

"Come on," he insisted, walking through the door of the TARDIS.

Donna was agog. She walked in after him.

"Sorry, you're just going to let them get away with it?"

He wasn't answering. Donna was flummoxed.

"Everyone else gets a lecture, but them? You don't want to do it well, I bloody will."

"Do you think that would help?," he asked.

"I-"

He cut her off by starting the controls quietly.

"Doctor, do you want to talk about it?"

"I think I'm done talking today."

"You could try."

"We're in the vortex. Nothing to worry about," he said. "I'll be in my study."

He walked away.

"You have a study?!," Donna called after him.

He walked away and Donna fell back on the jump seat.

The Doctor had never been like that before. Even when they disagreed, it was never silent like some couples she knew. No walking off, no slammed doors. They shouted. A lot. They could both shout a good game and neither of them knew when to stop. Most arguments just ended with them getting interrupted by an alien who was about to kill them or at the very worst, the TARDIS shutting off all the lights and refusing to open any doors until they came to an understanding.

She didn't know what to do with this.

It was a rough day. He had a rough day, that's all. This wasn't a good night to tell him about the baby. She couldn't have the memory of people trying to throw him out an air lock twisted up with getting the news he was going to be a dad again.

It would be better tomorrow.

She could try again then.

* * *

A/N: I'm going to Lilac Summers my way through this one. Reviews are like finding out The Office took my idea and the finale is going to be the Tenth Doctor giving Donna her memory back. I have a theory for this. Also, I've got to get better at these...


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks for the reads and follows and review. I really look forward to hearing from people, so don't hold back. Let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Donna awoke the next day. She was alone in the bed. She assumed that meant the Doctor was somewhere tinkering away as he often did while Donna slept.

Okay, today was the day. It was going to be a great day. They'd go somewhere, see something amazing and she would tell him that she was pregnant. He was going to be a dad again. How could it get better?

It certainly couldn't get worse than yesterday.

Donna walked out to the console room to find an unexpected state of affairs. Every bit and bob of the console was laid out on the floor. Wires and cables were going everywhere. She tiptoed over them.

"Doctor?"

She finally found him where the jump seat had been uprooted. "Doctor?"

"Morning," he said, not looking up from the bit of console he was polishing.

"Doctor, what's going on?"

"Spring cleaning! Well, not really spring cleaning. It's cleaning, though. I had no idea how long it had been since I gave the TARDIS a proper once over."

"Okay, why?"

"Like I said. Maintenance."

"Well, where did you park us?," asked Donna.

"Park us?"

"Yes, park us." Donna walked over to the doors.

"Don't touch those! I just painted!"

She turned and threw up her arms. "Where are we, Doctor?"

"In the time vortex."

"In the time vortex?"

"Yes."

"You've disassembled the TARDIS!"

"To clean her."

Donna knelt down. "Doctor, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"About what?!," she said incredulously. "Yesterday, a bus of seemingly ordinary people tried to kill you, today you're going all DIY on the TARDIS. Do you think there might be a connection?"

"No, Donna. You can't apply your conventional psychoanalysis to Time Lords."

"Oh, really? Because I think I can."

"Donna, you're distracting me. I could finish this much quicker without you bothering me."

Donna looked at him. He wouldn't make eye contact with her. She did actually need him to reassemble the TARDIS.

"I'll be in the library," said Donna.

"You can't. I just steam cleaned in there."

She sighed. "Where can I be exactly?"

"Well, I would say the bedroom, but I'm putting in track lighting."

"We don't need track lighting," said Donna.

"Oh, then I've got to do something about the garage. I've got to replace the cooker. Then clean the pool. The art gallery! You could be in the art gallery! I don't need to do anything in there!"

She knelt down. "Doctor, I really think it might helped if you talked about what happened yesterday."

"Oh, Donna, what's to talk about? Possessed by an alien shadow on a planet with no atmosphere, bus full of people tried to toss me out, there. Done. End of story. Fin."

"Please, Doctor-" she said putting her hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged away from her touch. "Sorry, Donna. I've got to put new dampeners in the quadratic stabilizers."

"Okay, I'll be there if you need me," said Donna.

* * *

Donna went to the art gallery and sat down. It wasn't somewhere she went often. She didn't quite get art and had a difficult time understanding the appeal of standing around in a gallery, staring at something and pretending to be clever while they discussed it. She had gotten bored once listening to the Doctor describe everything that was in this room. She took out her mobile and dialed.

"Donna, my girl!," Wilf said happily on the other end.

"Hi, Gramps," said Donna. "What time is it there? I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, it's nighttime. I was just about to go up the hill."

"Always up the hill!," she heard her mother say. "Who are you talking to?"

"It's Donna."

"Donna? What happened? Is she alright? Has that man left her yet? Does she need money?"

"Sylvia..."

Donna grunted. "You can tell Mum that man has not dumped me, thank you very much." She paused. "You don't remember me visiting with him, do you?"

"You mean with the Sontarans?"

"No, I mean after that."

"No. Did we miss you?"

"Trust me," said Donna recalling the embarrassment of the Sylvia walking in on her and the Doctor, "it's the sort of visit you would have remembered."

"Where have you been now?"

Donna's heart dropped. "We were just on this planet called Midnight. It was made of diamonds, Grandad. All diamonds. Sapphire waterfall."

"Did you get any good pictures?"

"We couldn't stay long. The Doctor had a rough time of it there. We had to leave."

"What do you mean, love?"

Donna shook her head. "It's hard to explain. Did you get that new computer yet? We could be video chatting. I could show you a bit of the TARDIS."

Wilf chuckled. "Oh, we got it alright, but your mother wouldn't let me get the camera. She thinks I'll just use it for something naughty. Too much Oprah, I say."

Donna cringed at the mental image that produced without regard to how ridiculous it was. "Well, the Doctor and I will give you a proper tour when we visit."

"You're visiting? When?"

"I'm not sure. Soon. I've got some news to share."

"I bet you do, what with all your travels!"

"Well, there's that," Donna agreed. "That's not all of it, though."

"Like what?"

Just then, the Doctor burst in. "Donna, are you on the phone?!," he spat.

"I'm talking to my grandfather," she said.

"Well, I'm trying to reassemble the communications array and you're on the phone!," he said annoyed.

"You didn't say anything-"

"Well, you should have known!"

Donna sighed. "Gramps, I have to go. Love you."

"Love you, too, sweetheart. Take care."

Donna hung up the phone. "There. Are you happy?"

"I've got work to do."

"No, you don't!," she shouted after him.

* * *

Donna spent the rest of the day trying to occupy herself. Whenever she tried using something that required any sort of power, she would soon find herself joined by the Doctor. As soon as she tried to inquire after his state of mind, she would be told like a five-year old why whatever she wanted to use was connected to whatever he was "repairing." Then he would stalk off.

So far it hadn't been her favorite day.

She was thinking that when she noticed a slight fluttering. She couldn't quite place it. In her head or her stomach? She looked down.

"Is that you?"

She felt a sensation of warmth only... cooler? What the hell?

"That's you, isn't it?," she asked. "Eh, baby? Zara? That's what the soothsayer said I'm calling you, but I don't know. There's a definite ring to it and I did always like that shop. We can discuss it if you want."

Donna realized she was smiling again.

Maybe this was as good a time as ever. Maybe they didn't have to be somewhere amazing. She was amazing. It had to be enough to knock the Doctor out of his mood, it just had to.

"Doctor!," Donna called walking down the hall.

She didn't hear a reply.

"Doctor!"

She went to the console room. The pieces were all back where they should have been. It took a minute before she found the Doctor, slumped up against the wall on the floor, his jacket and tie lying on the floor next to him.

"Sweetheart?," she asked gently.

"Everything should be mended, Donna. You ought to be able to do anything you like. Steam cleaning should be dry in the library."

She sat next to him. "You did all that?"

"Yes, even re-tiled the pool."

"Why did you-" she shook her head. "Never mind that. I've got to tell you something-"

"I wasn't supposed to live."

She was taken aback. "What? Of course you were! You're the Doctor! You can't just die because some arses on a space bus are too stupid to be saved! Don't even talk like that."

"No, in the Time War. I wasn't supposed to live."

Donna shook her head. "I don't understand."

"When Gallifrey burned, I was supposed to go with it. I was supposed to die, so why am I still here?"

She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "You've done so much since then, helped people, saved planets."

"I bring death and destruction with me wherever I go. They were right, I enjoy it."

"No," said Donna, not knowing who he referred to, guessing it had something to do with the bastards on the bus, "no, that's not you."

He looked at her. "You said it, too. The day we met."

She tried to search back in her memory. He had gone off on one of his rants using a bunch of big words and trying to sound clever. Then she had slapped him. "Are you enjoying this?," she had shouted.

"No," said Donna. "I didn't mean that. I barely knew you then and I was frightened. You saved me, though. That's who you are."

"You should leave me," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"I ruined Rose's life, then Martha's. Astrid is just molecules floating the universe. Jack is immortal and is probably going to be a big head in a jar someday thanks to me."

Donna frowned. "I'm not following that at all."

He looked at her. "And River Song. I don't even know who she is or the slightest thing about her, but she burned in that computer core because of me. You'll be next. What fresh new hell can we find for you?"

"Don't talk like that."

"No, I mean it, Donna. You should leave me."

Donna shook her head. "No, I'm never leaving you, remember? I'm staying with you forever and I think you're wrong about the people you meet. Martha's still brilliant, isn't she? As for Rose, it seems like the worst thing that happened to her is she got stuck in a parallel universe with a father she never knew who's a millionaire there. I'm sorry. There's worse things to happen to a person."

He looked at her. "What about Jenny? She wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for me and what do I do? I warn her against violence so she can get shot."

"You didn't know. You were trying to help."

"That's my point, Donna. I'm always trying to help and look at my amazing successes!," he said, voice dripping with bitterness. "Corpses and the ashes of dead worlds scattered across the universe!"

"You and Jenny saved Messaline. They'd still be fighting if you'd never gone there."

"I'm not letting it happen to you, Donna. You have to leave."

"No, Doctor, you're not kicking me out. I'm staying with you forever."

"And what's that?"

Donna hadn't been expecting that. "Sorry?"

"Even if I can save you, even if I spend the rest of your life keeping you from harm, you're going to get old and decay and die and I'm going to have to watch it."

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for that cheery reminder."

"No, Donna, I am serious. Can you imagine that? I love you and I have literally no choice but to watch you die," he was gripping her by the wrists now. "Do you understand?"

Donna shrugged. "I... I don't know what you want me to do about it."

He didn't say anything.

"I'm going to give you as long as I have, whatever I have," said Donna.

There was still silence.

"Doctor, you're not yourself," said Donna. "This is normal. What you've been through is enough to make anyone-"

She was cut off when he released her wrists and stood. He started walking out of the console room.

"Doctor?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just... I'm so sorry," he said stalking out of the room.

He walked off, leaving her alone on the floor of the console room, staring at his jacket as it laid on the floor.

Then she realized she was crying.

* * *

A/N: During the conversation with Wilf, I'm referring to the events of my story "Don't Drink The Water." You don't have to read it, but just if you were wondering. Reviews are like red velvet cupcakes that get delivered to your door without you ordering...possibly like David Tennant. See? I'll get the hang of this.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks for the reads and reviews, follows, etc. I appreciate it. Let me know what you think of this one and happy reading!

* * *

Donna awoke alone the next morning. Only she wasn't in her bed, she had fallen asleep on the sofa in the sitting room. She had a blanket she didn't remember getting and her eyes were puffy.

She had looked for the Doctor for a long time in the TARDIS, but he was doing a bloody good job hiding himself. So, she fixed dinner and then sat in the sitting room watching outer space soap operas until she must have fallen asleep on the sofa.

What was she going to do with her poor broken space man? What would he let her do?

She wandered the halls and finally noticed a door she didn't recognize. There was some sort of screen for a hand print and a red light was on over the door.

Donna tried the hand print. Each time she did, there was a negative buzzing sound. She sighed and knocked.

"Doctor? Doctor, are you in there?"

There was a delay. The red light went off and Donna was taken aback as the door slid open, revealing the Doctor.

"Yes?"

She looked at him, he had a few days' worth of stubble growing. Tired. Could he be even skinnier? He was in a worse state than he had been.

"Are you alright?," asked Donna. "You've been in there days. What are you doing?"

She tried peering around him at the room. It was white, all white and there was nothing in it.

"I'm perfectly alright, Donna. Did you need something?"

She wanted to scream, but held it back. It wouldn't do any good. "I was just thinking, maybe you ought to get out a bit. Sunshine, fresh air. It would do you good."

"I'm fine here."

"Yes, well, what is here?"

"It's the Zero Room."

Donna shook her head. "Yeah, still don't have a clue."

"It's a Time Lord thing, Donna, you wouldn't understand."

"Well, if you tried explaining-"

The door shut in Donna's face. The light went back on.

Donna fumed. "Being an ass! Is that a Time Lord thing, too?! Because I bloody well understand that!"

She felt the new life inside of her flutter.

"Sorry, sweetheart," she said softly. "Come on."

Donna walked away and ended up sitting on the jump seat in the console room. She crossed her arms and wound up sobbing.

What the hell was she going to do? She did love him, she did. She didn't care if she was a human and he was some Time Lord, it just had never seemed to matter. All her early talk of there probably being laws against it, that was just talk to keep her from having to admit how she really felt. Now, though, if being a Time Lady would help her to get through to the Doctor she wouldn't mind it.

The phone rang.

Donna frowned and picked up the mobile off the console. "Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Martha?," asked Donna.

"You don't know? You called me."

"No, I didn't-" Donna stopped, realizing the TARDIS had played a trick on her. "Sorry, of course. How are you?"

"Just moved."

"Really? Where?"

"Manhattan. I'm working at the UNIT base there. Tom doesn't like it, but I don't see him in London, so what's the difference? Now my mum, she really doesn't like it."

Donna smiled. "Yeah."

"I'm walking around my new neighborhood right now, exploring. There's a lot of bead shops. Never mind my boring old life. What are you and the Doctor up to?"

"Well, not much," said Donna. "We're having a bit of a rest."

"A rest?," Martha asked in disbelief. "Are we talking about the same Doctor? Lives in a blue box, wears pinstripes, talks about Rose all the time?"

"Yes, except for the Rose bit," said Donna.

"Oh. Broken him of that, did you? Good on you. You'll have to tell me how you managed it."

Donna realized how incredibly awkward it would be to explain how she managed that to Martha. "Well, you see, Martha, I saved his life by kissing him in front of Agatha Christie and then he just had to have me... a lot. Oh, also we got married and we're expecting a baby."

She wouldn't want Martha to hurt her head from falling over as she walked.

Instead she said, "What are you up to today? Work, I suppose."

"Well, it's Saturday so no. I'm getting my flat set up and then I thought I might do some shopping."

"Shopping in Manhattan. Sounds like fun."

"You should come," said Martha. "Bring the Doctor if you have to, although, there'll probably be some invasion or sewer monsters then."

"No, he's not really..." She didn't finish the sentence. "Tell you what, I will come. Just what's the date and where do you want to meet?"

* * *

Donna got the information and programmed it in the TARDIS. She thought at the very least she would get the Doctor's attention by taking the Old Girl out of the Time Vortex.

She opened the door and had a quick look outside. Manhattan, Fifth Avenue. It looked like 2008.

Donna walked back in and got dressed. She went back to the console room and looked around. The TARDIS hummed inquisitively.

"Oi, I'm just looking for that little cube bit, you know, the one that keeps you from going? I don't want emo boy to get the idea that I'm leaving forever. I'm just going for lunch and shopping."

There was another hum of approval and a panel popped open. Donna spotted the little cube bit she was looking for and put it in her bag.

"I'll get that back to you," said Donna.

Donna checked the time. She still had an hour until she was supposed to meet Martha and just happened to be standing outside Saks Fifth Avenue. She walked in and made her way up to the baby department. It couldn't do any harm to just have a look around.

Everything was adorable, but the prices were mad. There was a lace christening gown that was about the same as the down payment on her old Smart.

"Can I help you find something?"

Donna turned around. She quickly recognized what was happening. The snooty sales woman did not think she belonged here. Well, everyone was in black and had designer bags that cost many thousand pounds, but really, who did this woman think she was?

"I'm just looking around," said Donna.

"Shopping for a gift?"

Donna scowled. "No, I'm expecting." God, that did feel good to say. She couldn't wait to say it to Nerys.

The woman looked her up and down.

"My husband and I, we're having our first," said Donna. "A little girl."

"Oh. You're tourists?"

"Well, we travel quite a bit, yes." Donna then thought of a way to really screw with this woman's head because in her experience most Americans knew very little about Britain and thought anybody with an accent was related to the Queen. "He's a lord."

That was true. She didn't need to know it was of Time.

Besides, being the Lord of Time had to take precedence over being Lord of like Shrewsbury or something, didn't it?"

"Oh," the sales woman said, her interest piqued. This was clearly working like a charm. "Why don't I show you some things from our layette collection?"

Donna then realized a massive flaw in her plan as the woman showed her a pink cashmere blanket. Last she remembered, her bank account had about fifty quid in it and her credit cards were all maxed out. Wait, maybe there was that one American Express she hadn't gotten to use before she found the Doctor. She went searching through her bag for it when she found the psychic credit card.

The Doctor had used it to buy his way into a card game in New Monte Carlo in the 72nd century to stop a robot from becoming Space Pope and said quite sternly it was not to be used for shoe shopping. If he wanted that to be a rule, he really ought to come out of his Zero Room.

* * *

Donna thought she might have gone a bit far.

She could see it in Martha's eyes when they met outside the restaurant.

"You started without me!," Martha said.

"Oh, these are just gifts," said Donna, motioning at the five carrier bags that held her purchases. "We can get to the serious stuff later."

They went to sit. Martha started updating Donna on the job with UNIT.

"I'm sure I'm boring you," said Martha. "How did the Doctor take it when you said you were going shopping?"

"He was busy," said Donna.

"Busy? Did he go somewhere else?"

"No," said Donna. "He can't."

Donna saw that Martha was confused by what that meant.

"When you traveled with him," Donna started, "did he ever get in a funk? Go off in the TARDIS, wouldn't see him for days."

"No," said Martha, looking alarmed. "Is he ill? Do you think I should go see him?"

"No, he's not ill. He's not like that. Something's just upset him and he's being an ass, that's all."

Martha snickered. "Okay, then."

"You know, that whole, last of my kind, I'm so lonely and depressed and you couldn't possibly understand-"

"I thought you had said he stopped the Rose thing."

"My God! Yes, he stopped the Rose thing. Have you even seen Rose? She's younger than you are, no offense and has too much eye makeup and-" Looking at Martha, she realized she had lost her again. She was becoming as bad as the Doctor.

"How did you see Rose?"

Donna sighed. "It's a long story. I got dragged through time and met a bunch of his regenerations and they were mostly ridiculous."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you can't leave it at that! How were they ridiculous?"

"Oh, you know, one was old and basically called me a tart. There was this one in crushed velvet. One had celery on his lapel. Oh, God, that one with the cat pins!"

"Cat pins?"

"Yes, that one was a total ass." Donna motioned for their waiter. "Sorry, I finished my omelet. Could I get the French toast?"

"We're changing to lunch now."

"Well, could I see the lunch menu?" The waiter left and Donna looked back at Martha. "What?"

"Nothing," said Martha, clearly afraid. It finally occurred to Donna that her omelet had been enormous and she had a side of potatoes, two muffins and a fruit salad. This Time Baby business was no joke. "I'll take another mimosa. Are you sure you won't have one, Donna? They're lovely."

"No, I'm not drinking," said Donna.

"Okay," said Martha.

Great. Now Martha thought she was an alcoholic. When exactly were they going to get around to telling everyone?

"You know what, Donna? I'm jealous of you," said Martha.

"What? Me?"

Martha nodded. "You've got this great thing going with the Doctor. Look at you! Out on your own, making him wait. Best of all, you're not in love with him." Martha laughed. "What a shock it must be for him!"

"Yeah," said Donna. "Total shock."

She really could have used a drink.

* * *

Donna spent the rest of the day with Martha shopping for shoes and watching her try on clothes. She didn't think there was much point to her trying on clothes since she would just need new ones in a little while anyway. She walked away with another two bags of shoes then parted ways with Martha as she returned to the TARDIS.

Where the Doctor was waiting.

"You took the dematerialization circuit," he said.

"The cube bit?"

"Yes, the cube bit!"

"Why? Did you need it?," asked Donna. "Thought you could just fly away and leave me for my own good?"

"I got a distress call, a psychic distress call." He looked at the pile of bags. "What did you buy?"

"Shoes, mostly," she said. That was sort of true.

"Did you use the psychic credit card?"

"Might have."

The Doctor sighed. "Well, now we know how the credit crunch of 2008 happened, don't we?"

"You don't get to come out here and start shouting at me about the psychic credit card-"

"I'm not shouting!," he shouted. Donna scowled. "Okay, that last bit was shouting, but I need the dematerialization circuit, Donna!"

Donna sighed and went into her bag, hunting past the endless receipts and bags of sweets from Dylan's Candy Bar. She handed it over. "Will that do?"

"Yes," he said, taking it and popping it back in the compartment where it belonged. He then started walking around the console, starting up the various controls.

"This distress signal-"

"Psychic distress signal," he corrected.

"What makes it special enough for you to get out of your Zero Room and go there?"

"Because," he said as the TARDIS jilted, "it's a Time Lord psychic distress signal."

* * *

_A/N: Finally! This story has a cliffhanger! In the conversation with Martha, what Donna was discussing happened in my other story "The Letter R." Okay, let me try... Reviews are like Coke that has no calories but actually tastes like the real stuff and every time you drink it, Donna's memory comes back a little more. That one needs work... _


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, the Doctor and Donna. Thanks for the reads and reviews and follows and favorites. Keep them coming. Let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Okay.

He had lost it.

The Doctor had become delusional. He was Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind just a lot skinnier, which made her Jennifer Connelly, just not as skinny. That Zero Room was probably covered in magazine clippings and he probably had theories about the Soviets working with the Daleks, which actually wouldn't be unexpected.

"Doctor?," Donna said softly.

"Hmm?"

"There aren't any other Time Lords," she said.

"Well, yes, that's what I thought-"

"That's what you thought?"

"But this psychic distress signal, it's coming from a planet that sits just on the edge of the universe."

"What? You missed it in your initial sweep of the universe?"

"It could be anything, Donna. Maybe they were unconscious-"

"Since the end of the Time War?"

"Maybe they were fob watched."

"Okay, the last time that happened to someone, that was the Master, right?," asked Donna.

He stiffened. "I'd rather not discuss that."

"Well, seeing as how it might be basically almost the same exact situation, I think we should discuss it. Do you have any other arch enemies I need to know about?"

"No, Donna," he said landing the TARDIS. He picked his coat up off the coral strut.

"Well, can we take something with us?," asked Donna.

"Like what?"

"Like a cricket bat!"

"You're being overly anxious."

"I'm being overly anxious? If this goes bad, I'm the one that ends up walking the Earth, so yeah, I'm a little concerned."

He didn't answer and walked out. Donna went back to the console and popped out the dematerialization circuit again.

"I am not walking the Earth, understood?," Donna said.

The TARDIS hummed in the affirmative. Donna followed the Doctor out.

They were in a pleasant green area, filled with all sorts of species. Everyone seemed excited, chatting anxiously in their native tongues.

"I can't understand them," Donna commented to the Doctor.

"TARDIS translation circuit is overwhelmed," said the Doctor.

"I don't see any Time Lords," said Donna.

"Not here," said the Doctor. "It's close, though."

Donna looked over. There was a waterfront and a dock. She noticed once in a while some of the aliens would look in that direction.

"They're waiting on something," said Donna. "What are they waiting on?"

The Doctor looked out towards the waterfront as they heard a foghorn. The attention of everyone standing and waiting turned towards the water as a great ship appeared.

"It's there," the Doctor said in disbelief.

"What? There's some random Time Lord out on that boat on this random planet?"

It was then Donna read the sign in front of the water.

The River Styx.

"No way," said Donna. She looked at the Doctor. "Do you see that?"

He looked to the sign. "The Styx?"

"In Greek mythology, that's what separates the Earth from the underworld, right? I mean, they don't mean the band."

"That's unusual."

"Unusual? We're not on Earth."

"It's a coincidence, Donna."

"Or that boat's full of zombies."

"Donna..."

"Oh, come on! Don't act like I'm being ridiculous! That would not be the strangest thing that had ever happened to us!"

"Donna, there's no such thing as zombies."

Donna threw her hands up. "Oh, God! Why did you say that? Here we go, zombie apocalypse!"

The boat docked. Donna and the Doctor watched as the ship unloaded its passengers. They each left and went to happily greet a group that had been waiting for them. The groups seemed so happy to see them. Really happy. There were tears. One woman fell to the ground in sobs of joy.

"You don't suppose..." said Donna. "I mean, it's the Styx and they're so happy to see them and... Doctor?"

Donna turned and realized that the Doctor wasn't paying her the slightest bit of attention. Not that she could blame him because someone else was coming off the boat, the final passenger. He was staring at her, eyes wide, Donna felt the fluttering in her stomach again.

She was beautiful, a waif-ish blonde with a kind smile. Her clothing looked like a gown out of the nineteen thirties, but Donna noticed a bracelet. It was the Seal of the Time Lords, she knew that much. She walked to the Doctor and they embraced.

"Doctor?," asked Donna.

The young woman spoke in Gallifreyan as she looked inquiringly at Donna.

"Donna, this is Mayantha."

"Your daughter?" She looked the girl up and down. "How is that possible? You said you watched her die."

"I don't know, Donna. It's a big universe."

"It's a big universe, that's what you've got?"

The woman again asked something in Gallifreyan.

"Why can't I understand her?," asked Donna.

"She doesn't speak English and the TARDIS doesn't translate Gallifreyan." The Doctor walked over. "You have to give us a moment, Donna. I have to explain what happened to her."

"You didn't tell her who I am?"

"No, I thought I'd touch on the destruction of our home world, everyone and everything she's ever known, that sort of thing, before I got to my personal life. Is that alright with you?"

"Why doesn't this seem strange to you?," asked Donna.

"Yes, I agree it's unusual-"

"Unusual! She's back from the dead!"

"This is my child, Donna. Do you think I wouldn't know my own child?"

"I don't know," said Donna. "This is the first time I've met anyone back from the dead!"

Donna looked. Mayantha was staring at them inquisitively.

"I have to talk to her," said the Doctor.

Donna watched as the Doctor took Mayantha to a bench and started speaking softly. The girl finally started sobbing and Donna felt badly about watching. She took a walk around.

It was a strange sort of place they had landed on. There was a hotel, lots of restaurants, everything gleaming like Disney World. Museums, shops, an amusement park and a heath where some of the visitors were having picnics.

Donna really wished she had been able to have the Doctor think this through, but he was buying into it, which was both different and scaring the hell out of her.

The first possibility was that the River Styx was real, the Ancient Greeks had been right and this was the place where the regular world met the afterlife.

Second, this was Solaris. Donna had never seen the original Russian Solaris, but rather the remake with George Clooney, which she had only agreed to because there was the promise of his bum and she had nothing better to do that night. Incidentally, George Clooney's bum was the only bit of the film she understood. She had tried to decode it over drinks afterward. Either the planet was God or George Clooney had been dead the entire film. She really wasn't sure how that had turned out.

The third was that this was all some sort of trick.

Yeah, it was probably a trick.

* * *

Donna walked back around to the waterfront where the TARDIS was parked. The Doctor was standing with his back against the door and staring at Mayantha as she sat in front of the water.

"Hey," said Donna.

The Doctor nodded at Mayantha. "She just needs time."

Donna nodded. "Right. Of course."

This was really the last thing that the Doctor needed, given the events of the past few days. She didn't want to see what would happen when this blew up. If things could get any uglier than they had recently, she was scared to find out.

The Doctor looked at her seriously. "That's my daughter, Donna."

"I just don't understand why-"

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah, I think it does."

"I don't really care how it happened, Donna."

"Does she know how it happened?"

"She remembers the attack by the Daleks and then she was here."

"Why did she send the distress signal?"

The Doctor paused. "I didn't ask."

"Do you think you ought to?"

"I'm here now and nothing's going to happen to her."

They realized Mayantha was looking back at them.

"Have you explained about us?," asked Donna.

"I hinted, Donna. It's a lot to take in."

Well, that was fair, Donna had to admit. Hi, honey, guess what? Your mum and brothers along with the rest of the planet are all dead, but it's alright because I married that nice ginger woman over there who is a different species, by the way, oh, and she doesn't speak the same language as you.

"I'm going to take her for a walk," said the Doctor.

"Right," said Donna. "I'm going to go in the TARDIS."

Donna walked back in. The carrier bags had mercifully disappeared, but Donna found a book on the console.

She looked up at the TARDIS. "What to Expect When You're Expecting a Time Baby? Are you kidding me?"

The TARDIS hummed innocently.

"Besides that, I don't want him seeing this sort of thing until his head's on straight and preferably when we're no longer visiting the underworld or Solaris or wherever the hell we are." Donna paused. "Wait. This is in English. You don't translate Gallifreyan, right?"

The TARDIS hummed.

"So why is this in English?" Donna opened the book and found a handwritten note in perfectly formed script. "Dear Donna, I think you'll be surprised to be getting this as I will have been gone for many years by now. I've instructed the TARDIS to give this to you when the time is right and since I know our husband won't bother teaching you Gallifreyan before he's gotten you pregnant- just because he does things like that, oh, you know- I've taken the liberty of translating it to English and adding some personal notes. Best wishes and all my love, the Oracle."

Donna was flummoxed.

"My first baby present and it's from my husband's dead wife," said Donna. "Still, not the weirdest thing that's happened today."

She took a look at the table of contents. "Let's see, trimesters, nutritional guidelines, morning sickness, that's got a whole section. Why am I not surprised? Pre-birth psychic connections."

Donna flipped to that. According to the book, the baby would be trying to form a psychic link with her, that was the fluttering she felt. The next level would be the Doctor and after that, would be any siblings.

She had felt the fluttering on the waterfront with the Doctor. The book said strong emotion could bring it on. Staring at Mayantha, though, she hadn't gotten anything. Shouldn't that have been worth some kind of strong emotion? Coming back from the dead and reuniting with her father?

That led Donna to one awful conclusion: it was a trick. Worse than that, she was going to have to figure out how before the Doctor's hearts got broken any worse.

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are like if Godiva made a protein bar. Sorry, I run a lot. That would make me happy. Uh, reviews are like if Godiva made a protein bar and as you ate it you found an episode of Series 4 on Netflix you hadn't seen. _


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks again for the reads, reviews and follows. I appreciate it. Let me know what you think.

* * *

The boat.

It all had to do with the boat.

"I mean, it's the boat, right? That boat has to go somewhere, if this is the river Styx or some outer space version of the Styx, it'll take me back where that lot came from, won't it? That's the idea, right?"

The trio of green-scaled alien children stared up at Donna blankly.

"This is the bit where either you tell me I'm brilliant or I've lost my mind," Donna said.

The alien children's father called for them and they were off. Probably glad to be, Donna decided.

The Doctor and Mayantha were off on another excursion, which was just as well with Donna because she wasn't willing to break the bad news to him yet. Not before she had proof or knew what the hell was going on. She had since come to the conclusion that the only way to do that was on the boat.

She watched as a purple skinned family talked in front of the dock. What Donna presumed was a mother was crying as her boy stepped back on the boat. It was hard to tell. Donna followed him onboard and hid behind a pylon as the boy waved goodbye. That's when she spotted the Doctor on the shore. He was walking with Mayantha and spotted her just as the boat set off.

"Donna! What the hell are you doing?!"

Oh, that was a change.

* * *

Donna sat down and waited. It didn't take as long to get to the underworld as Donna thought it would have. She followed the purple teenager out and followed him into a gleaming building. The boy was scanned by two blue skinned people and then he disappeared.

"What did you do?!," Donna shouted.

They looked up. They were surprised to see her and fussed with what appeared to be wristwatches.

"You heard me! What's going on? What the hell is this place?"

The woman spoke and it finally clicked into English. "There we are. Can you understand me now?"

"Yes," said Donna.

"My apologies, your species is uncatalogued. What are you precisely?"

"Human," said Donna.

"That's not what the scan shows," says the man. "It looks like some kind of parasite-"

"It's a baby!," Donna spat. "Don't you dare do anything to her."

"We've never had a human visitor before," said the woman. "What brought you here?"

"I'm asking the questions," said Donna. "What is this place? What do you do here?"

"This is the Reckoning."

"Oh, well, that's not scary at all," said Donna. "What happened to that boy?"

"He was returned to the database," said the man.

"The database?"

"How did you find out about the Reckoning?," asked the woman.

"Why is that so important?"

"Because you don't seem to know what this place is for."

"Then why don't you tell me?"

"The Reckoning is a place for people to come say farewell to their loved ones."

"What do you mean? You bring them back?"

"In a manner of speaking," said the woman. "We take their psychic imprint and use it to create a visage. That visage is fully interactive and adaptive, created in the memory of their loved ones."

Donna was appalled. "And people pay you? Are you making money off it?"

"It's a kindness."

Donna thought about the place. "So, you make everything perfect and you give them the best possible day ever and then take them away?"

"They get a chance to say goodbye, most of them didn't have that. The visages only leave when the family is ready."

"You don't seem to get it," said Donna. "My husband. He's never ever going to be ready and when he finds out about this he is going to flip out. We're talking full Oncoming Storm flipping out. We didn't understand what this was, he just got a psychic distress call- wait, how did he?"

The two looked at each other.

The woman spoke. "You mean the anomaly."

"We had never encountered a Time Lord visage," said the man. "We thought they were a legend. Then she appeared in the system and she could interact with the programming. We thought we shut down the distress signal in time and wiped the visage clean."

"How did she get in there in the first place?," asked Donna.

"All the species here are telepathic. On occasion, the pain of one can be so great that it stretches across the stars and finds its way here."

"She came from the Doctor," Donna concluded.

"The visage appeared and joined the boat and then we saw she had visitors. It was a kindness."

"Did you think about maybe putting up a caution sign?!," Donna spat. "Sorry, these people aren't real? Something to that effect?"

"They're as real as the visitors want them to be," said the man.

"Really real," said Donna. "He wants her to be really real, but she's not. Don't you understand? He's lost everything and I mean everything and you offered one little piece of that back."

"The visages are not meant to be permanent-"

Donna shot a glare at the woman. "Mayantha. She was called Mayantha and she was his little girl and he watched her die. If you're going to make a mockery of people, you ought to bloody well know who they are."

"They are only a tool to aid in grieving," said the woman.

Donna felt the fluttering in her stomach again.

"There wasn't another boat scheduled," said the man.

Donna looked back. The Doctor was coming off the dock with Mayantha in hand.

"Donna, what the hell did you go here for?," asked the Doctor. He took her hand. "What were you thinking? Come on."

"Doctor, I have to tell you something." She motioned at the two workers. "Actually, they have to tell you something."

"Tell me what?"

Mayantha asked a question in Gallifreyan. The Doctor said something back then turned back to Donna.

"This isn't real, Doctor. She's not real."

"What do you mean?"

Donna turned back to the woman. "Would you mind telling him again with all the big words?"

The woman froze.

Donna grunted. "Thanks. This place, they use your memories to make people, for a few days, just so you can say a proper goodbye."

"Donna, stop it."

"I'm sorry, Doctor-"

"Stop it! Just stop it!"

"Sweetheart..."

The Doctor turned to the man. "What's the process you use to make the memories into flesh?"

"A biomolecular psychic conductor matrix."

"So what keeps it from becoming permanent?"

Donna really didn't like the way this conversation was heading.

"The field around the planet keeps the process in check."

"Yes, but how do I get it to exist outside the field?"

"That's not recommended."

"Do I seem as if I care?," he asked.

"Doctor, what are you doing?," asked Donna.

"What does it seem like I'm doing?"

"It sounds as if you're trying to keep her."

"Yes, that would be it."

Donna thought she would have to pick her jaw up off the floor. "You are kidding me."

"I wouldn't joke about this."

"I agree. It's not funny!"

"This is happening, Donna." He pulled the brainy specs out of his pocket. "Now, take me to that matrix."

The Doctor walked off with the man. Donna and Mayantha were left staring at each other.

"So," said Donna, "how's it going?"

Mayantha shrugged. Donna smiled.

"You don't look like your mum at all," said Donna. "I suppose you must take after one of his regenerations. You do remind me a bit of Jenny, though."

Mayantha again shrugged.

"Oh, Jenny, she was... oh, this is hopeless." Donna looked at the female technician. "You said they were adaptive?"

"Yes, fully."

"So, you could add a language? I've seen the Matrix. Laurence Fishburne plugs in Keanu Reeves and suddenly he's a genius. Could you add in English?"

"This is how she was remembered."

"Yes, but I need to talk to her and I don't have time to learn Gallifreyan. Teach her English."

"It's highly unusual-"

"That's unusual?! Bringing people back from the dead, that's not unusual?!" Donna leaned forward. "Look. I don't know what alien court I have to sue you at, but you can bet I'm going to find it and your granchildren are going to be in litigation for this kindness."

The technician straightened up and went to work. She punched in some keys as Donna looked at Mayantha. Her head straightened for a minute.

"My word," she said in a posh accent, "that's quite something. Wait, that's English?"

"Yeah," said Donna.

Mayantha nodded. "New language. That's weird..."

"Did your dad tell you who I am?"

"Yes," said Mayantha uneasily, "you're his wife."

"And do you know what happened to you?"

"I died. Then I was here... How did I get here?"

"That's the thing. This place, it uses people's memories to bring back their loved ones for a little while. So they can say goodbye."

"Dad picked me?"

"I don't know if it was intentional, but, yes. Why? Does that surprise you?"

"It's just that there were so many others."

"Mayantha, I don't know what you think, but your dad loves you-"

She shook her head. "Time Lords don't-"

"I know what you all say, but he does. That toy of yours? The Scallofrax? He's always kept it. Always. He told me about you, how clever you are, how proud he was of your position at the Temple. How kind you are."

Mayantha looked around at the screens and computer. "If this is all one enormous psychic database, then I'm not really here."

"No, sweetheart, I'm sorry. You're not. I would give anything for you to be here, I would."

"I'm just a psychic projection."

"He's trying to figure out how to make you permanent."

"What?," asked Mayantha. "He can't do that. I'm just... Why has he done this? What's wrong?"

"I don't get it all, but he hasn't been right lately. He's been thinking about everyone he's lost, everyone he thinks he's wronged."

Just then the Doctor returned. "Alright, that conductor matrix needs an upgrade, but I think I have the parts on the TARDIS."

"Dad," said Mayantha.

The Doctor looked at Donna. "What did you do?"

"I had to talk to her," said Donna.

"She was right," said Mayantha. "Have you lost your mind? What would Mother say?"

"She's not here and that's the point, Mayantha."

"Donna is, though, and she knows this isn't right."

"It's an existence," the Doctor protested.

"That's not enough," said Mayantha. "It's not life. I'm a mockery of what I really was."

"No-" said the Doctor.

"You can't keep me like this, it's not right. I had my own existence, not just your perception of me."

"That can come back in time."

"How?"

"I can make it come back," said the Doctor. "I promise."

"I'm gone, Dad."

"No, you're not, you're here-"

"The Daleks attacked, remember? The first time they hit Gallifrey, the ground shook-"

"Mayantha, don't," warned the Doctor.

"The glass shattered, remember? And I couldn't see, but Mother came and then you came. You had that stupid long hair then."

The Doctor shook his head. "Please, don't."

"And you begged me not to go, you begged me, but I couldn't hold on and I couldn't regenerate and I had to go-"

"Stop it!"

"And I couldn't. And you can't expect me to now because I can't hold you here."

Donna watched as Mayantha shoved the technician away from the keyboard and started tapping away. The Doctor tried to rush over and he did just as Mayantha vanished as the boy had.

The Doctor stood there completely stunned.

"What happened?," he asked. He turned to the technicians. "Where did she go? Get her back!"

The technician looked. "She purged herself from the database."

"So? We'll do it again, only I'll get it right this time," said the Doctor. "I can bring her back. I know I can."

"Doctor," said Donna, "she asked not to come back. Not like this."

"Then I'll change that, I'll take it away."

"Then she's not Mayantha, is she?," asked Donna.

The Doctor stopped and turned to her. "She's my daughter, Donna."

Donna nodded. "I know. I know."

He collapsed into her arms again without a word. He didn't need any.

"I know," she said.

* * *

The Doctor and Donna sat back on the boat silently as they hitched a ride with some of the visages off to see their families. They walked past silently and got back in the TARDIS. Donna replaced the dematerialization circuit and the Doctor set them silently in the Vortex.

"Have you thought about why this Reckoning place is like that?," asked Donna.

"What about it?," the Doctor grumbled.

"It's so you can remember your loved ones happy. You try to never remember anyone and when you do, you remember them miserable. You remember Mayantha dying when you could remember her happy. She wasn't always dying."

"I can't do that, Donna."

She turned to him. "You need to try," she said sternly.

"You don't get to decide how I remember," he said walking away. She knew he was headed for his blasted Zero Room and she was headed straight for more hell.

Donna straightened up. "No, but I do get to decide how I live my life and if you're not even going to try, then I think you were right."

The Doctor stopped and turned. "Right about what?"

"When you said I should go home."

They stood there in stony silence, only the hum of the TARDIS could be heard.

* * *

_A/N: I know. Cliffhanger._ _I don't even have a clever simile today. _


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, but I can quote The Runaway Bride from memory which has yet to turn into a vocation. I'm thinking one woman Christmas show on the West End. Thanks for the reads, reviews, follows and favorites. I really appreciate it. Let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Donna was a little surprised when she heard the words come out of her mouth. She had been wondering a bit what to do with the Doctor if he remained in his current state and he didn't show any signs of changing. She couldn't go on like this any more than he could and she certainly couldn't expect a baby to be in the middle of this.

Part of her wanted to tell him about the baby. The other part didn't think it was right to put everything on one poor little Time Baby, the full responsibility for saving the Doctor's psyche and their marriage. Helping him heal, that was one thing, but she wouldn't have them staying together just because she was pregnant. They had to sort this themselves or not at all.

The silent stand-off only lasted a few seconds. They never could stay quiet long.

"You won't leave," said the Doctor.

"Oh, really? Why won't I?," asked Donna. "Martha left you. You don't think I have the same amount of self-respect as Martha?"

"You said you'd never leave, that you could never go back to ordinary life. There's still so much I haven't shown you-"

"Do you think this is about being entertained?!," Donna snapped. "All of time, all of space, do you think that's enough to keep me here? I wouldn't care if we never went anywhere but Tesco so long as we were together."

"We are together."

"Together? Do you think this is together? You holed away, pushing me away, not seeing you for days? Is that together?"

"I don't know what you want me to do, Donna."

"Yeah," said Donna. "That's obvious."

She walked past him and into the corridor.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm packing!"

* * *

Donna went back to the bedroom and opened the wardrobe as the TARDIS protested. She started pulling out luggage and soon found herself joined by the Doctor.

"What are you doing?," he asked.

"Packing," she spat. She was furious, genuinely furious enough to shut out the TARDIS' pleadings for the time being and start throwing things into her many suitcases. She was angry at him for acting like this, angry at herself for letting him and for the soon impending humiliation that would happen once she was back in Chiswick and had to tell all to her family.

"Donna, you can't go," said the Doctor.

"What? Are you going to hold me hostage?"

"There's no point in being melodramatic, Donna-"

She really hated when he was trying to sound like the adult. "Oh, there's no point in being melodramatic! Why don't you tell me some more about how you've ruined the lives of everyone you met? Guess what, you can add me now."

"Why?"

She looked up at him. "Because you've made an idiot out of me and I already felt like an idiot most of the time anyway."

"When did I ever do that?"

"You told me that I made you happy and I believed you."

"You do."

She shook her head. "No, I don't. I know the truth. You like being miserable. You like feeling sorry for yourself. I can't change that. Nothing can change that."

"Donna, you can't go."

"Well, I am."

"You can't. There is no Time Lord concept of divorce."

"I'm not a Time Lord, am I? Sounds like a problem for you."

"It's not possible-"

"Yes, it is. Here's how it works. I take my things, I leave. You would send a maintenance check the first of the month if you had any money and you can visit every other weekend."

He frowned. "Why would I visit every other weekend?"

Donna hadn't meant for that to slip out. "Whatever. Don't visit."

"Donna, we cannot be divorced-"

"I still don't know why you think I care that Time Lords don't have a concept of divorce. Neither did the royals until they were, though Andrew and Fergie, there's something going on there."

"We've been telepathically bonded, yes?"

"Yes," said Donna. That's what stung more. He took her into his confidence and then stripped it away.

"I'll die, Donna. Do you understand? I will die."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, remember what you were saying about being melodramatic?"

"I am not being melodramatic."

"Is this one of those emo things where you say if I leave you'll kill yourself? Because that's not very appealing either."

"Donna, this is the truth. If you go, I will die."

"What? Of a broken heart?"

"If you want to call it that, yes."

"What are you on about?," she asked finally looking up at him.

That's when she noticed the fear in his eyes. He was genuinely scared.

"I need you. I will die without you. This face. Like it? Because you leave and it's gone. A Time Lord can't lose his mate and stay long."

"What about when you lot regenerate? Don't you go then?"

"No. That's different for Time Lords. A death, yes, that could cause a regeneration. This is something else. You can't go. What do you want me to do? Beg? I will get on my knees and kiss your feet and do whatever you want me to for as long as you want me to so long as you don't leave."

"I want you to stop being such a monumental ass!," Donna shouted. She threw her things down on the floor in frustration. She had the Doctor's attention now. "You don't have to entertain me, you can be sad, but you have to be sad with me!"

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't think I can do that. My problems, Donna, my nightmares, they're mine and mine alone. I can't burden you with them."

"You don't get to have it both ways. Share with me or don't. I stay or I go, it's your choice."

"Please, don't go," he said his voice cracking.

"Then tell me what's going on," Donna pleaded.

"I don't want to lose you."

Donna sighed. "Well, you're certainly doing everything you can to make that happen, sunshine."

"If you know who I am, what I think, everything, you'll go, you'll leave because I am awful. I am everything they said I was on the bus and that's why I've lost everything."

"Stop it," said Donna. She walked over and put her hand on his chest. "I know who you are, okay? And I won't go anywhere."

"You won't?"

"Not if you try. I'm not saying you're going to be perfect or that I'm going to be perfect, but if you try, you really try, we can do this. I know we can. Just don't push me away anymore."

The Doctor nodded in silent agreement. "I haven't slept since Midnight."

"What?," asked Donna.

"Obviously, I don't require the same amount of sleep that you do, but I need some and-"

"It's been weeks," said Donna. She was incredulous.

"Yeah," the Doctor agreed.

She pointed at the bathroom. "Go take a bath and get in your pajamas."

"What?"

"How else are you going to sleep?," she asked. "Go on."

The Doctor did as he was told.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, Donna found herself in bed with her spaceman. Ironically, she wasn't able to sleep this time. She was too busy staring at him as she played with his hair. It was more fun like that on the rare occasions he was asleep and she wasn't to fuss with it and watch him try to fix the damage in the morning.

She was more distracted by the fervent fluttering in her stomach. Or the baby. She supposed she ought to get used to thinking of it like that. Her.

The Doctor stirred again. He opened his eyes and stared at Donna.

"What happened? Bad dream?," she asked softly.

"I just wanted to be sure you're still here."

"Of course I am, you git." Donna kissed him. "Go back to sleep."

"Talk to me for a bit," he said closing his eyes.

"What about?"

"Anything."

Donna nodded. "Okay, maybe you can clear something up for me."

"What?"

"The day we met, were you looking down my dress?"

His eyes opened. "What?"

"You see because, I used to think it was just some Martian thing-"

"I was trying to save your life!"

"See, but did you have to stare at my breasts to do that? And given the way you stare now..."

"Huon particles can get anywhere, Donna."

"See, but then once the dress was wet and I didn't have any Huon Particles left, you couldn't stop looking."

"I was investigating!" She gave him a look of disbelief and he added, "Thoroughly!"

"Oh, is that what you call it? So, just to clarify, the day we met, you were not, in fact, staring at my breasts and in no way found me attractive?"

There was a pause. "Well, I don't know if I would say that-"

"I knew it."

"You did not! I was investigating!"

"God, I wonder what would have happened if I got the other dress."

The Doctor looked up. "What other dress?"

"At Chez Alison, it was down to two dresses. The one I got and this other one. Strapless corset top. Really tight, pushed everything up. My mum vetoed it, said I looked a bit like a tart and she was paying for half of it so I ended up with the other one. Too many goods on display, she said." Donna knew she was enjoying this too much as she looked over to see the wheels turning in the Doctor's head.

The Doctor spoke after a few moments passed. "You don't suppose they still have it, do you?"

"See, you were looking! Lucky I didn't get it, you would have lost all control."

The Doctor grumbled. "I don't think I like your mother all that much."

"It's alright," said Donna. "I got a pretty good look at your bum."

"What?"

"When you were climbing the ladder."

"You- you-" he stammered. "You called me a skinny streak of nothing!"

"Well, not right then."

The Doctor paused. "Wait, why did you invite me in?"

"Well, you didn't stay for dinner and now we'll never know, will we?"

"Oh, come on!," the Doctor groaned. "You're joking."

"I don't know, my fiancé was going to feed me to a giant spider, my standards that day were pretty low."

"Now you're just mocking me." He closed his eyes and settled back into his pillow. "When I tell this story, none of that's going in it."

"Fine. I'll have my own version."

"Oh, I bet you will."

Donna realized he had fallen back asleep. He could do that: be talking one second, asleep the next. She decided it would be a good idea for her to rest as well, relieved it would be for the first time in days without tears.

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are like finding a clever simile. Yeah, I know. I suck at this. _


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. That being said, a while ago, I did do a shorter story set in this ficverse called Really Turn Left. I know some of you will have read that so what I've tried to do is keep enough consistency to keep the flow of the story going for people who haven't read it, but make it different enough that it's interesting to anyone who has. Thanks for the reads and reviews as always. Let me know what you think and happy reading!

* * *

Things had gone too far.

Donna had been waiting for the perfect moment. She had been waiting to be certain the Doctor was back to himself. It had been some time.

She had failed to mention she was pregnant.

This was it, though. Today was the day and no matter how much dead alien goo she was covered in at the end of it, she was going to tell him she was pregnant. Of course, this was probably going to lead to another fully justified argument about why she hadn't mentioned it earlier. Besides, Casanova had spotted it, the Doctor was bound to sooner or later.

At least she would have the freedom to vomit without hiding.

"Donna!"

"Coming!," said Donna. She put on her leather jacket and walked to the console room. "So, what have you got to show me, Time Boy?"

"Oh, plenty," said the Doctor, taking her hand.

"Shan Shen!," the Doctor announced with his usual flourish as they stepped out of the TARDIS.

It was amazing. Stall after stall, shop after shop.

"So, this whole planet is one big market?," asked Donna.

"Yep," he said popping the 'p.' "Come on."

"Do they have their own credit card?"

"Only you would ask that."

"It just seems like they would."

"Come on."

They walked through the stalls and the Doctor led her over to a beverage stall where he bought them both absurdly foamy drinks.

"Here, you are going to love this. One, two, three-"

They both drank it and were rewarded with foamy mustaches. They laughed.

"Ah!"

"It's lovely," said Donna.

They continued down the alley. The Doctor got stopped, talking to a vendor about some fruit.

"You want to buy shukina?," another seller asked her.

"No, thanks."

She walked further and was spotted by a fortune teller sitting outside her tent.

"Tell your fortune, lady? Your future predicted, your life foretold."

"No, thanks," said Donna.

"Don't you want to know if you're going to be happy?"

Donna smiled. "I am happy."

"You've got red hair. Reading's free for red hair."

"Oh, alright," said Donna.

She went into the tent and sat down across from the woman who started caressing her palms. "You're fascinating. Oh no, but you're good. I can see... a man. The most remarkable man. How did you meet him?"

"Oh, you tell me," said Donna.

"You tell me past. I tell you future. When did your lives cross?"

"It's sort of complicated. I ended up in his spaceship on my wedding day."

Donna heard a clicking noise.

"But what led you to that meeting?"

Donna shook her head. "All sorts of things. But my job, I suppose. It was on Earth... this planet called Earth, miles away. But I had this job as a temp. I was a secretary at this place called H.C. Clements."

She lurched forward, thinking she was back at her desk. Then she went back to herself. "Sorry."

"It's the incense. Just breathe deep. This job of yours. What choices led you there?"

"There was a choice... six months before. The agency offered me this contract with H.C. Clements. There was this other job. My mum knew this man, Jival Chowdry."

Donna remembered the day she had gone to her mum's to borrow the car. Sylvia had tagged along, trying to get her to change her mind, saying Suzette could make the introductions.

"You turned left," said the fortune teller.

Donna flashed back to the Oracle for a second. What had she said?

"What if you had turned right?"

"Let go of my hands," said Donna.

"What if it changes? What if you go right? What if you could still go right?"

She heard the clicking again and all she could see were the indicators on her mum's Peugeot.

"Stop that. What's that? What's that on my back?"

"Make the choice again, Donna Noble, and change your mind. Turn right."

"I'm turning..."

* * *

Donna Noble had spent the last few weeks inexplicably ill. She had blamed food poisoning, then flu and then decided she must be dying. It wasn't helping her get in good at her new job, but Mister Chowdry had made her his personal assistant anyway.

"I'm what?!," Donna spat.

The doctor looked flummoxed. "You're-"

"Pregnant?! How can I be pregnant?!"

"Well-"

"Are you sure?"

"Mrs. Noble-"

"Ms. Miss!"

"Oh."

"Oh, what? You automatically assume I'm some sort of tart-"

"No, I never said-"

"How am I pregnant?!"

The doctor just stood there, staring at her.

Donna eventually got out of there with a prescription for antenatal vitamins and back to her mum's car. She sat down, put her head against the steering wheel and began sobbing.

Telling her family was something that Donna was not looking forward to.

* * *

"You're what?!," Sylvia exclaimed.

They were all gathered in the kitchen. Donna had just come out with it, no point in delaying.

Donna rolled her eyes. "I thought I was pretty clear."

Geoffrey and Wilf exchanged glances.

"Who's the father?"

Here was the part Donna planned on flat out lying about. She wasn't about to admit she had no idea. "It doesn't matter. He's not in the picture."

"You're not keeping it, are you?"

Donna felt her face turn red. "Of course I'm keeping her, Mum! I'm not some teenager."

"You aren't married, either."

"Oh, I suppose I should just go to a home for unwed mothers then drop her off at the foundling hospital."

"Lots of women have babies on their own these days," Wilf tried to add helpfully.

"Do you think Donna can handle a baby on her own? She's never even had a permanent job!"

"Well, she has one now," said Geoffrey. "Plus, she's not entirely on her own, is she? We'll help you, sweetheart."

Donna smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Oh, I'm expected to raise a baby now," said Sylvia.

Donna fumed. "I'm raising her. You don't have to help if you don't want to."

Geoffrey put his hand over Sylvia's. "Don't be silly. Of course we'll help."

"That's right, Donna. We're here for you," said Wilf.

Sylvia tsked. "What am I going to tell the girls?"

* * *

"Here, let me get that," said Geoffrey taking the box from Donna.

"Dad, it wasn't that heavy. I was fine."

"No, no. We can't have you overexerting yourself."

It was official. Donna was regressing. She was moving back in with her parents and grandfather. It had been her father's suggestion, just while the baby was small, he assured her. It would be easier for Donna to manage for a while without having to worry about a flat and driving the baby round before she went to work and collecting her at the end of the day.

"I'm fine, Dad."

"No, miss. You have precious cargo there."

Donna followed her dad into the bedroom. The cot was already set up and waiting. A collection of baby things was already pushed to the other side.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

Geoffrey turned to look at her. "What are you sorry for?"

"Just...everything." Donna stared down at her protruding stomach.

"Well, don't be!," said Geoffrey. "I know this isn't what you had planned for yourself and it wouldn't be my choice, either, but that's only because I'd like to see you settled with someone. You don't need to be sorry. I'm very happy to be having a grandchild and just as happy to help you."

"It's just... I feel like I should have things together by now."

"You'll get there," said Geoffrey.

There was a doorbell.

"Go on. See who that is," said Geoffrey.

Donna went downstairs and opened the door and found Alex Wroughton.

"Alex?"

"Hi."

She was surprised to see her oldest friend from childhood. He didn't look as if he was doing so bad. He was looking fit and Donna knew his sunglasses had to have cost a hundred pounds. She was used to tallying up such things on men, but not Alex. "What are you doing here? Your mum said you were abroad."

"I'm visiting. I thought I'd come by and see you."

"Come by and see the massive train wreck, you mean?"

"No, you look wonderful," said Alex. "I would ask you for a pint, but I don't know, what's the pregnant equivalent of a pint?"

"We eat," said Donna, grabbing her bag off the table in the hall. "We eat a lot."

* * *

Donna walked with Alex down to the pub where he had a pint and ate some chips. She had the rest of his chips, some fish, the garlic mushrooms and a jacket potato.

"Is your mum still starving you?," asked Alex.

"I'm starving them more like, taking all the food in the house," said Donna. "I warned you."

"No, it's fine."

Donna got in her bag. "Here, let me pay."

"Don't you dare," said Alex. "My treat."

Donna put her bag away. "I'm the talk of the neighborhood, you know."

"I had heard."

"I bet. You're taking a risk being seen with me. They're liable to think you're the father."

"Right..." said Alex.

Donna rolled her eyes. "One night stand. Okay?"

"I didn't say anything." He paused. "So, you're staying at home?"

"Yes, I know. It's pathetic."

"No, I mean, you've got other things to think about."

"So, enough about my scandal ridden life, what have you been up to?"

Alex shrugged. "Just work. Planes, paperwork."

"No jetting off the exotic lands?"

"Not really."

"How long are you home for?"

"A few days. I might be back for Christmas."

"You might be in luck then. I'm due right around then. The Foreign Office keeps you busy."

"And where are you at now?"

"It's a copy shop. Mum's friend helped me get the job, just in time, too. Nobody would have hired a pregnant temp. I can't stay on leave that long since I haven't been there that long. Mister Chowdry was pretty clear on that."

"Can't you get allowance from the government?"

"I can, but the point is that I finally have a permanent job. I can't go and lose it straight away. What kind of mum would that make me?"

"You're going to be a great mum," said Alex. He picked up his pint. "To Donna Noble."

Donna rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Are you going to eat that whole packet?," asked Sylvia.

Donna looked down at the packet of Jelly Babies feeling somewhat guilty. "Sorry, did you want some?"

"You won't be able to blame all the weight on the baby, you know."

Donna closed her eyes. "Mum, could we not do this? It's Christmas and my back hurts, I don't feel well-"

"You should have thought of that before you got pregnant. How fitting to have an unwed mother with us on Christmas Eve. This mysterious father, should I plan on him dropping by?"

Donna spun around and walked away. She marched to the door and got her coat.

She walked. She walked a really long time, finally realizing that it wasn't a great idea.

That's when the Christmas Star started shooting from the sky. She ducked for cover along with the rest of the crowds in the streets until it finally stopped.

She stopped to sort out where she was and found that she was near the offices of H.C. Clements, the place where she almost took the job last summer. That seemed like a lifetime ago. She noticed a commotion with soldiers wearing red berets standing around.

As she walked closer, she saw a gurney being rolled out.

"He's dead, sir. The Doctor's dead," said one of the soldiers standing by her.

A hand with long, slender fingers fell out from under the sheet along with a cylindrical silver object she didn't recognize. The baby punched inside her and she turned away, feeling ill.

That's when she ran into the blonde.

"What happened? What did they find? I'm sorry, but did they find someone?"

"I don't know," said Donna, trying to collect herself. "Bloke called the Doctor or something."

"Where is he?"

"They took him away, he's dead."

The woman didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry," said Donna, "did you know him? Could have been anyone, they didn't say his name."

"I came so far," said the woman. She turned and stared at Donna. "What's your name?"

"Donna. And you?"

"I'm just passing by..."

"Why do you keep staring at my back? Is there something on my back?"

Donna groaned and realized she was having a contraction.

"Oh, God. I'm sorry, I'm having a baby. Do you have a mobile I could-" Donna looked up. The woman was gone. "Oh, right, then. That's polite."

Donna walked back to the barricade. She waved at the soldier. He walked over.

"I'm sorry, I really am, I know you're busy, but could I borrow a phone or something? I just went into labor."

"Yes, ma'am. Ross!"

Donna watched as a young, baby-faced soldier hurried over.

"Ross, take this woman to hospital. Royal Hope Hospital isn't far from here."

"Yes, sir. Come this way, ma'am."

* * *

Ross drove her and Donna was settled into a room. She was examined by one doctor and midwife, then waited.

"Mrs. Noble?"

"Uh, Ms.," groaned Donna. "Forget it. Whatever."

She looked up to see a nice young woman in a lab coat. "I'm Martha Jones. I'm a medical student on my obstetrics rotation. Doctor McGann asked me to come sit with you."

"Come sit with me?"

"Yes, she said you didn't want to call anyone. Are you sure?"

Donna shook her head. "Please. I don't want my mum here, I'd rather spare my father and grandfather all this fun."

Martha smiled and sat down. "So, no dad coming then?"

"No, no dad coming," said Donna. Her mind flashed back to the hand coming out from under the sheet. "You have got to have better things to do than just sitting with me."

"No, it's fine. I still need to assist on another birth before I finish my rotation. I don't mind at all."

"Still, you must have family."

"My family's a little... volatile right now."

"Know the feeling..." said Donna. She would have smiled, were it not for another contraction starting. She screamed.

"Just try to breathe through it, Donna," said Martha.

"I AM BREATHING!"

"Okay..." said Martha.

* * *

A few hours later, Donna found herself gazing down at her new baby. She was gorgeous and ginger, which Donna thought was working nicely for her, but she couldn't get over the eyes. She had seen those eyes in her dreams, gleaming at her.

"You're perfect, that's what you are," said Donna. She took the baby girl's tiny fist in her hand. "You know what? I'm never going to tell you you're not, because I know you always will be."

The baby stared at her.

"I'm your mummy. Did you know that?" She sighed. "Okay, a few things. We live with my parents and grandfather and my mum is a pain. Also, not a clue who your dad is, sorry about that, but judging by you, he wasn't bad-looking, so we've got that going for us."

The baby cooed.

"I love you," said Donna. "And nothing bad is ever, ever going to happen to you because I won't let it. I'm going to take care of you."

Donna followed the baby's gaze out the window to the sky full of stars.

* * *

"Good morning," said Martha. She peered over at the baby in the cot. "How are we?"

"We are great," said Donna.

"Just here to give her the last little check before we send you home," said Martha. She got the baby's chart as Donna sat on the bed.

"They told me about the lower body temperature thing," said Donna.

"Yeah, no cause for concern," said Martha. "Sometimes it means a thyroid problem, but she doesn't have any other signs of that. Some people are just born with one. Just remember that when she's got a temperature higher than this, that will be a fever, even though it's normal for the rest of us."

Smiling at the baby, she took out her stethoscope and put it to the baby's chest. She frowned as she moved right to left.

"Is everything alright?," asked Donna, not liking the frown.

"Yeah, it's fine," said Martha. "She's an active little one, isn't she? Attentive."

Donna smiled. "Yeah."

"Have you decided what to call her?"

"Zara."

* * *

"She was crawling!," Donna shouted.

Mister Chowdry sighed. "Now, come on, Donna, we can go downstairs and have a chat. There's no need for a scene-"

"Oh, I'll make a scene, all right. Right in front of a tribunal and the first thing I'm going to say is wandering hands!"

"Now, come on Donna - you know what it's been like for the past few months, ever since that Christmas thing! Half my contracts were on the other side of the river and the Thames is still closed off. Look, I can't deliver. I'm losing a fortune. You have been in and out with one thing after another-"

"I had a baby! And my dad died!," Donna shouted.

"And the sitter problems?"

"My baby was crawling, she panicked!"

"Your baby's not old enough to crawl."

"Oh, child expert, are you now? I told you my baby is clever! Well, sack one of this lot! Sack Cliff! He just sits there! Don't know what he does all day, sorry Cliff. Actually, I'm not sorry - what do you do all day?"

The whole office shook as they heard an explosion. The rest of the office ran to the windows as Donna looked at her notice.

"Who typed this? I'm your PA! Did you get someone else to type this?" She looked up. "Beatrice!"

* * *

Donna drove home and walked into the house holding her box of office supplies and personal items. She found Zara waiting in her walker at the door.

Donna smiled. "Hi, beautiful girl. Were you waiting for me?"

Donna put down her bag and the box. She plucked Zara from the chair.

"Mummy missed you, yes, she did," she said giving her a kiss. "Gramps? What are you doing? Why's she out here on her own?"

Donna walked back to the sitting room to find Wilf staring at the news about the hospital.

"You, too?"

"The hospital, it just vanished."

"Well, Zara might have vanished."

"I'm trying to listen."

Donna looked at Zara. "Guess what? We're spending all tomorrow together. Maybe more."

Zara smiled in delight.

"Yeah, don't get too excited," said Donna.

"Why's that then?," asked Sylvia.

Donna held her breath. "I got sacked."

"Oh," said Sylvia. She looked at the box. "Take that, did you?"

Wilf was still watching the telly as Sylvia went through the box.

The only survivor was on telly giving his account. "There were... rhinos... in black leather..."

"Rhinos could be aliens," said Wilf.

"Oh, Grandad, come on."

"At least you got a hole punch," said Sylvia. "And a raffle ticket."

"Yeah, well they can keep the raffle ticket," said Donna. "I wouldn't take a penny off that man."

Wilf looked at them. "Honestly, you two, there's aliens on the news. They took that hospital all the way to the moon and you're banging on about raffle tickets."

"Don't be daft, Gramps. It wasn't the moon, it couldn't be."

"Yes, well, I'm telling you, it's getting worse. These past few years, it's like, all of a sudden, they suddenly know all about us and... there's keen eyes up there and they're not friendly," said Wilf.

"Gramps, would you just stop it with that? You're going to frighten Zara with all your alien talk," said Donna.

"She doesn't understand," said Sylvia.

Zara looked offended.

"She understands more than you think," said Donna. "I keep telling you she's clever."

"Must have gotten that from her dad," Sylvia mumbled.

Donna was about to snap back, but she got another flash of those eyes and someone shouting, "Molto bene!" She looked back at Zara who was grabbing at Donna's shirt.

"Alright," said Donna, sitting down in a chair. "I know what that means."

She undid the buttons and the nursing bra and Zara eagerly latched on.

"Martha Jones..." said the last survivor of the hospital. "She gave me the last oxygen tank and she died."

"Oh, no," said Donna. She looked at her family. "She was the doctor that helped deliver Zara."

No one spoke as the newscaster went on.

Donna looked at Sylvia. "You're taking this well. Thought you'd have hit the roof by now."

"I'm just tired, Donna, what with your father and everything. To be honest, I've given up on you."

Donna looked away, back down at Zara. Zara stared at her with those brilliant brown eyes and Donna knew that her baby had absolute faith in her.

"What's for tea?," asked Donna.

"I've got nothing in," said Sylvia.

"I'll get chips," said Donna. "Fish and chips, eh?"

* * *

Donna packed up Zara in the pram and pushed her along down the road to the chip shop. Zara was babbling from the front.

"Are you trying to say something, miss?," asked Donna. "Clever girl. I know you've got a lot to say. God knows I do. What if your dad was as big a talker as me? That's a scary thought."

There was a flash of light and a buzz of electricity from an alleyway. Donna stopped as a woman ran into the street.

"Are you alright?," asked Donna. "Was that fireworks or...?"

She then realized it was the blonde from Christmas Eve.

"Wooh. I dunno. I was just walking along. Weird."

"You're the one. Christmas Eve. I met you in town."

Zara cooed. Donna pulled the pram back closer towards her as the woman peered inside.

"Right, Donna, wasn't it?," she asked looking at Zara.

"What was your name again?," asked Donna.

"Well, bit of a coincidence," said the woman. She stood straight up to look at Donna. "Gorgeous baby. Great eyes."

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Looking behind my back! Everybody gets behind my back, then I get home and there's nothing there! What is it?"

"What sort of people?"

"People on the street, strangers, I don't know..." Donna thought she could hear a hissing. She thought she could almost reach whatever it was. "Do you see? Now I'm doing it!"

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

"What am I what?"

"Next Christmas. Any plans?"

"I don't know. That's ages away."

"You should get out of town. Don't stay in London. You and your family, just leave the city."

"What for?"

"Nice hotel. Christmas break."

"Can't afford it."

"But you have the raffle ticket."

"How do you know about that?"

"First prize, luxury weekend break. Use it, Donna Noble."

"Why don't you tell me your name?," asked Donna.

The woman didn't answer. Donna tightened her grip on the pram. "I think you should leave me alone."

She pushed the pram past the woman.

"Don't know what her game is, Zara."

* * *

"Zara Christmas!"

Donna woke up next to the baby in the quite crowded luxury suite she was sharing with her family.

"And Zara birthday," Donna added with a smile, giving her baby a kiss on the cheek.

"What is she babbling on for?," asked Sylvia.

"She's excited!," said Donna. "It's her very first Christmas and her very first birthday!"

Zara clapped her little hands in glee.

"Well, I'm not getting up," said Sylvia. "I never get up before ten on Christmas."

"We know," said Donna. She walked past Wilf on the sofa. "How's the sofa?"

"We could have paid for another room, you know," said Wilf.

Donna got up and started getting her and the baby ready. She was rather pleased with the way this was going. Her mum was actually tolerable and it was special for Zara's birthday. She had presents ready and the whole thing was doing her good. She was knackered, having spent most of the holidays as temporary help at two different shops earning more money for the family and especially for the baby's first birthday and Christmas. When she got back to London, she could start looking for secretarial work again and she had better get it because she had her eye on some good nursery schools. There was a knock at the door.

"Door!," said Zara.

"Good girl!," said Donna. "Could you get it? That'll be breakfast! Croissants!"

Wilf grumbled and got the door. "Yeah, alright, come in, my darling. Grub's up!" He looked at the Spanish room service waitress as she pushed a cart into the room. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, sir!"

"Feliz Navidad!," Zara called from the bathroom.

"Where did she learn that?," asked Sylvia.

"I told you, this girl is clever," said Donna. "Anyway, I thought, nice early breakfast and then we'll go for a walk. People always say at Christmas, 'oh, we all went for a walk.' I've always wanted to do that."

"Have you seen this?," asked Sylvia.

"So, walk first, presents and cake later!" Donna turned to see the waitress staring at her.

"Tienes algo en tu espalda."

"What?," asked Donna.

"Your back!," added Zara.

"Donna, come and see this," said Sylvia.

"Tienes algo en tu espalda!"

The waitress ran out. Donna picked up Zara and went to see the telly.

The Titanic was heading for Buckingham Palace.

The newsreader spoke. "The object is falling on Central London. Repeat: this is not a hoax. A replica of the Titanic has fallen out of the sky and it's heading for Buckingham Palace."

Donna shook her head. "I don't get it. Is it like the sequel?"

The Titanic was mere feet above the palace and crashed in. The screen turned to white. Sylvia anxiously changed the channels.

"They're gone! They're all gone! All of them," said Sylvia.

"Well, don't be daft. I mean, the Titanic," said Donna.

"Oh, oh... God rest their souls," said Wilf.

Donna looked and saw her grandfather was staring out the window. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, a mushroom cloud.

* * *

They went out on the front lawn of the hotel. All the guests and staff were out there in disbelief at what they were seeing.

Zara pointed at the cloud and looked back at Donna anxiously.

"I know, baby, I know." She kissed her on the top of the head. "It's all going to be alright."

Wilfred was in shock. "I was supposed to be out there selling papers. I should have been there, we all should. We'd be dead."

"That's everyone. Every single person we know. The whole city," said Sylvia.

"Stop, Mum," said Donna. She didn't want Zara getting more upset.

"But it is, it's gone! London's gone!"

"If you hadn't won that raffle..."

Donna looked back to see the Spanish Maid still pointing at her back.

* * *

_A/N: Okay, the Casanova thing is another story called "The Count and Countess di TARDIS" which you can read only if you want. I just didn't want to just type up the whole thing again. Now, is Zara a plot hole? I don't know, I think the original episode is full of plot holes, so I feel free to take some liberties. Anyway, reviews are like bug spray that kills Time Beetles. Yeah, that one sucked more. _


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: I don't own Doctor Who. Thanks again for the reads, reviews and follows. And you know what? Hello, lurkers. I don't think I've said hi to you this whole story. Anyway, please let me know what you think, I look forward to it and happy reading! Or you know as happy as can be since this is Turn Left.

* * *

"Leeds?," Donna asked, shifting Zara in her lap. "I can't go to Leeds."

They were in a relocation office, having spent the last month in a hostel. The place was crowded, children were crying and the staff were beyond caring.

"The whole of southern England is covered in radiation," said the worker. "We have seven million people to relocate and France has closed its borders-"

"Allons-y!," Zara interjected as she played with her doll.

The worker sighed. She wasn't amused at Zara. "It's Leeds or you can wait in the hostel another three months."

"All I want is a washing machine," said Sylvia.

"What about Glasgow?," asked Donna. "I heard there were jobs going there."

"You can't pick and choose," said the worker. "It's Leeds or nothing. Next!"

* * *

Donna, her mum and grandfather boarded the army bus along with a bunch of other families. Zara played happily, looking out the window until they finally arrived at a street of terraced houses.

They got off the bus and one of the soldiers began calling out assignments. Donna got out Zara's pram and gathered the multitude of other things. For once she was glad she had over-packed since she still had all the baby kit she needed, except for a proper cot and high chair, but it did make her feel a bit like a gypsy to carry around the contents of half of Mothercare and her own things.

"The Noble family at number twenty-nine!"

"That's us," said Wilf.

They walked down the street where a woman was waiting on her front step.

"Used to be a nice little family in number twenty-nine. They missed one mortgage payment - just one - they got booted out. All for you lot."

Donna was furious. "Don't get all chippy with me, Vera Duckworth. Pop your clogs on and go and feed whippets."

They walked on.

"Sweetheart, come on. You're not going to make the world any better by shouting at it," said Wilf.

"I can try," said Donna.

They found number twenty-nine. The door was closed.

"What do we do?," asked Sylvia.

"Do we get keys?," asked Wilf.

"Who do we ask? One of the soldiers?"

The door flew open and a man appeared. "Hey-ey-ey! Is a big house! Room for all. Welcome! In you come."

"I thought this was our house," said Donna.

"Is many people's house! Is wonderful! Here, let me help you!" The man descended the steps and helped Donna with all of Zara's gear. Donna picked up the baby and pulled the pram up with them.

"We've been here for eight weeks already. Had a nice little paper shop in Shepherd's Bush - all gone now!" He pointed up. "So, upstairs, we have Merchandani family, seven of them. Good family. Good kids." He pointed at a boy who walked by. "Except that one. You be careful of him. Ah, that's a joking! Where's that smile, eh?"

He gestured towards himself. "Rocco Colasanto. I'm here with my wife and her sister and her husband and their kids and her daughter's kids. We've got the front room. My mother, she's got the back room. She's old. You'll forgive. And this, this is you. This is your palace!"

Donna looked to see they were in the kitchen. There was a curtain separating it from the rest of the house and beds made up on the floor.

"What do you mean this is us?," asked Sylvia.

"You got camp beds. You got the cooker, you keep warm, you got the fridge, you keep cool. Is good!"

Donna would have shared her mother's sentiment, but Zara was looking at her. She couldn't act worried in front of Zara.

"What about the bathroom?," asked Sylvia.

"Nobody lives in the bathroom!," Rocco laughed.

"No, I mean, is there a rota?," asked Sylvia.

"Is pot-luck! Is fun! I go wake Mamma. She likes new people. Mamma! Is people! Nice people!"

"Oh, well. We'll settle in, won't we? Make do? Bit of wartime spirit, eh?," said Wilf.

Sylvia just sat on her camp bed. Donna looked at Zara.

"Okay," said Donna looking at Zara, "let's get you settled in. Bring out your toys, eh?"

"They'll take up half the room!," Sylvia complained.

Donna shot a look at her mother. "What is she meant to do? Sit quietly on her bed?" Donna looked. Zara didn't even seem to have a bed, actually.

Wilf spoke again. "Well, America, they'll save us. It was on the news. They're going to send Great Britain fifty-billion quid in financial aid. God bless America!"

Donna set up her camp bed so Zara could look out the window. She always wanted to look out the stars as she fell asleep and she could let her have that. The baby didn't seem to mind, holding on to Donna like a baby gorilla while she slept.

As she drifted to sleep she could hear a man. "Donna Noble, you are brilliant."

* * *

It wasn't that long later when the residents of number twenty-nine gathered around the tiny television to watch the news from America.

Donna tried to pass Zara some of her tinned meal.

"Banana?," asked Zara.

Donna shook her head. "No, sorry, sweetheart. Those come from far away and almost all the trade has stopped."

Zara looked truly sad.

"People's fat has come to life and is walking through the streets..." the newsreader announced.

"Aliens," said Wilf.

"Yeah," Donna agreed. She looked over at Sylvia. She was alone in the corner. She smiled and turned back to Zara. "Eat up."

"And there are spaceships. There are reports of spaceships over every major US city. The fat is flying. It's leaving..."

They looked to see the little fat creatures floating upwards.

"Bye bye," said Zara waving at the screen.

* * *

They settled in to their new life in Leeds. Well, as much as they could. Wilf and Rocco became fast friends. Zara became entranced with the Colasantos and the Merchandanis. She was quickly given the title of "La principessa" and they doted on her, which Donna was grateful for because Sylvia was just tuning out altogether. When she was present, there were more little snaps at Zara. Then Zara impressed them all by picking up Italian, learning it from all the elder residents of the house, especially Rocco's mother. She even spoke more than the Merchandani boys. Her favorite words became "Molto bene."

Donna tried to get work, she did. She went into town as often as she could, there just wasn't much there and what she did get didn't pay well. She kept trying, though, because Zara was counting on her.

She tried, though, and knew she was failing. Then one night she just lost it. She couldn't have Zara living like this with a worthless mother in a kitchen. She didn't even know who her dad was and he was probably dead, anyway.

Then for some reason instead of the mushroom cloud, she flashed back to that hand falling out from under the sheet the night Zara was born.

That hand. It held her hand as brown eyes gleamed at her.

She cried and sobbed as Zara crawled up to be with her.

"Mummy no cry," said Zara.

"Oh, Mummy will cry, thank you," said Donna. She kissed her on the cheek and clutched her close.

She then heard gunshots outside. She watched as Rocco and Wilf rushed out.

She looked at Zara seriously. "Stay here."

She walked outside to find the soldiers were shooting at their cars.

"Hey! Firing at the car is not so good!," said Rocco. "You crazy or what?"

"It's this ATMOS thing, it won't stop! It's like gas, it's toxic."

"Well, switch it off," said Wilf.

"I have done, it's still going. It's every car. Every single ATMOS car, they've gone mad."

Donna heard footsteps behind her and realized Zara hadn't listened. She spun around to pick up the baby and the soldier started screaming.

"You, lady, turn around!"

"What?," asked Donna as she instinctively cradled Zara away from the gun.

"Let me see it!"

Was it her back again? "See what?"

Wilf and Rocco stepped in front of Donna.

"Put the gun down!," said Wilf.

The soldier stopped. "I'm sorry, I thought I saw something-"

"Call yourself a soldier? Pointing guns at innocent women and children?," asked Wilf.

Donna saw the a flash of light and heard a buzzing up the hill.

She knew what it was and carried Zara up with her.

"Donna! Where are you going?"

She walked up and found the blonde.

"Hello."

"Hi," she answered.

She sat with the blonde on a bench as Zara toddled around.

"It's the ATMOS devices. We're lucky it's not so bad here, Britain hasn't got that much petrol. But all over Europe... China, South Africa... they're getting choked by gas," she explained.

"Can't anyone stop it?," asked Donna.

"Yeah, they're trying right now, this little band of fighters... on board the Sontaran ship... any second now..."

Suddenly, the sky turned to fire.

"Stars!," said Zara pointing.

"Yeah, sweetheart, stars," said Donna. She looked back at the blonde. "What was that?"

"That was the Torchwood team. Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones. They gave their lives. And Captain Jack Harkness has transported to the Sontaran home world. There's no one left."

Donna looked at the blonde, started examining her up and down. "You're always wearing the same clothes. Why won't you tell me your name?"

"None of this was meant to happen. There was a man. This... wonderful man, and he stopped it. The Titanic, the Adipose, the ATMOS, he stopped them all from happening."

"That...Doctor?"

"You knew him."

"Did I? When?"

"I think you dream about him, sometimes. It's a man in a suit? A tall, thin man, great hair. Some... really great hair."

Donna could picture herself, lying in bed, lazily playing with some fantastic hair. She had dreams like that where she would only remember snippets, ever since she found out she was pregnant. Pieces of a pinstripe suit. A Chuck Taylor trainer.

Those gleaming brown eyes.

"Who are you?," Donna asked, taking Zara by the hand to keep her from wandering too far.

"I was like you. I used to be you. You've travelled with him, Donna. You've travelled with the Doctor in a different world."

"I never met him and he's dead," said Donna.

"He died underneath the Thames on Christmas Eve, but you were meant to be there. He needed someone to stop him, and that was you. You made him leave. You saved his life."

Donna could picture herself in a room that was flooding. She was in a wedding dress. There was screaming. She looked up and she could see the man. The pieces were all there in one package for the first time.

"Doctor!," she shouted.

He turned and looked at her with those eyes.

"You can stop!"

She could see herself again. He was standing in front of her pleading, "Please don't go."

Donna looked back at the blonde. "Stop it. I don't know what you're talking about. Leave me alone." She picked up Zara and started walking away.

"Something is coming, Donna. Something worse."

"The world is stinking! How can there be anything worse?!"

"Trust me. We need the Doctor more than ever. I've been pulled across from a different universe, because every single universe is in danger. It's coming, Donna. It's coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it."

"What?!," Donna spat.

"The darkness."

"Well, what do you keep telling me for? I'm just a temp, I'm not even that, I'm nothing!"

"You're the most important woman in the whole of creation."

Donna shook her head. "I'm just tired, okay, I'm just tired."

"Donna, you need to come with me."

"Maybe that works on men, blondie, but you're not shifting me. I can't change the world, I can't do anything, I need to take care of my daughter, that is the only thing I need to do, so just leave me alone."

Donna started back down the hill carrying Zara.

"You'll come with me when you're ready, then!"

"You'll have a long wait, then!," Donna shouted back.

"Just three weeks!"

"Then what?," spat Donna. She looked back to see the woman had vanished. She sighed and looked at Zara. "That girl is trouble."

"Trouble," agreed Zara.

"Come on, let's get you to bed."

* * *

Donna was extremely surprised to see who was at the door.

"Alex!"

He smiled. He was wearing a nice suit. Donna felt Zara walk up from behind her and hold her leg. She looked, there were two soldiers standing just at the bottom of the steps.

"Is she yours?," Alex asked, pointing at Zara.

"Yeah, this is Zara," said Donna. "Zara, this is Mummy's friend, Alex."

"Hello, Zara," said Alex.

"What are they here for?," Donna asked worried.

"They're my escort."

"Your escort?"

"Want to go grab a bite?"

"I don't have a pass-"

"No, it's fine. We'll bring Zara." He turned and looked at the soldiers. "She's with me."

The soldiers drove them in a jeep past the barricades to the posh part of town. Well, posh for Leeds, anyway. They found a cafe and sat down. Zara played with the offered coloring sheet and crayons.

"Is she writing?," Alex asked in amazement.

"Yeah," said Donna. Zara beamed up at her.

"But she's not yet two, is she?"

The food came and they dug in. Zara was the one taking chips off Alex's plate this time and he seemed to take it pretty well. It was the best meal Donna had in ages, but she kept sliding more food onto Zara's plate.

"No idea when I last went to a restaurant," said Donna. She looked at Alex. "I can't believe you're here. You didn't make it home for Christmas?"

"No," he said. "Too much work. Mum was, though."

"I'm sorry," said Donna.

"A lot of people died."

"That doesn't mean I'm not sorry. I am glad you're alright."

"I'm glad you are."

"What have you been up to?," asked Donna. "I mean, it doesn't look like you've been living in a camp."

"No, my office has set up in Edinburgh."

"I thought the emergency government was in York," said Donna. "Shouldn't the Foreign Office be there?"

"No, my branch is set up there. I still travel a bit, though, not as far lately." He paused. "How have you been getting on?"

"Oh, you know. Same as everyone. My mum is depressed. Grandad's himself. Sharing a kitchen inside a house with twenty other people in it. I've been trying to find work, but it's not easy. I can't get a pass all the time and I've only found really rubbish temporary jobs."

"Do you want money?"

"Oh, Alex, don't give me money."

"No, seriously, I don't need it." He was getting out his wallet.

"Alex, don't."

"Look, here's three hundred quid," said Alex. "That's the cash I've got on me-"

"Alex-" she protested.

He put the notes in her hand and closed it shut. "Come on. You've got Zara to think about."

"I've got no way to pay you back," said Donna.

"Don't worry about it," said Alex. "I told you. I don't need it."

"Why are you doing this?," asked Donna.

"My family's gone, Donna. I've known you since we were kids. Who else am I going to give it to?"

They rode back to the tenement. Alex walked Donna and Zara to the door.

* * *

"I have to travel again," said Alex. "I ought to be able to visit in a few weeks, if you want me to."

"Of course I would," said Donna. She motioned around. "As you can see, I haven't got anything planned."

He handed her a business card. "If you have any problems, call this number."

"At the Foreign Office?," Donna asked.

"Just say my name," said Alex.

Donna was left standing with Zara as he drove off.

Sylvia appeared. "Was that Alex Wroughton?"

"Yeah," said Donna. "He's living in Edinburgh now. He stopped by to visit."

Sylvia tsked. "That's not what he stopped by for."

Donna turned to her mother. "What are you talking about?"

Zara held up her coloring sheets from the cafe.

"Come on, sweetheart," said Donna. "We'll put those up on the wall!"

* * *

_A/N: Reviews are like missing a really good sale and then you use the TARDIS to travel back in time to be first in line. Yeah, I've thought this out. My similes still need work, though. _


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks for the reads and the follows. Hi, lurkers. Let me know what you think.

* * *

The money Alex had given Donna helped. She hadn't told her mum about it. She hadn't wanted to hear about it, what Sylvia thought she might be doing for it or what they should spend it on. She squirreled it away and used a little of it to buy Zara some extra food. Zara was still distraught that there we no bananas, but that was that.

Then one day, it was announced that all the foreign-born people had to leave the tenement. Donna was outside with Wilf and Zara saying farewell to the Colasantos and the Merchandanis.

"And you! So fiery with your red hair!," said Rocco. "I will miss you most!"

Rocco spun Donna around as she laughed. He turned to Zara. "No, Principessa, I will miss you most."

Zara stared up sadly.

"But why do you have to leave?," asked Donna.

"Is new law! England for the English! The oceans are closed so we can't go home! We go to labor camp, we work, is good."

"But there's no work," said Donna.

"Is good," Rocco insisted. He and Wilf exchanged salutes. Rocco turned to Zara. "Arrivederci, principessa."

"Arrivederci," Zara said sadly waving as Rocco joined his family on the truck.

"Labor camps," said Wilf. "That's what they called it last time."

Donna saw the tears in the family's eyes and the look of distress on their faces.

The truck drove away. Donna followed it. "Sorry, where are you taking them? Where are they going?"

"Mummy!," Zara called from down the street.

Donna sighed and hurried back towards Zara. "There. Mummy's not going anywhere."

* * *

Donna was again sitting across from Alex as Zara played next to her. No suit this time, but still soldiers waiting on him.

"What do you do that you have soldiers waiting on you whenever you want to pop by?," asked Donna.

"You know what I do."

Donna shook her head. "I don't think I do, though."

"How are things?," Alex asked, not answering her question.

"The house is quiet," said Donna. "They took the other families somewhere. I mean, they say labor camp, but there's no work-"

"Donna."

She looked up to see Alex staring at her sternly.

"Don't ask questions about that."

"What?"

"I mean it, it's for your own safety."

"What are you talking about?," asked Donna. "Do you know something?"

He took a long breath. "If I did know something, I couldn't tell you because of the Official Secrets Act and I wouldn't tell you because I don't want anything to happen to you."

"What are you saying?"

He took another moment and a sideways glance at the soldiers outside. "I can't say, but you should know I haven't got anything to do with it."

"But you know..."

"The world's gone to hell, Donna," said Alex. "Somewhere, somehow, something changed and now it's all hell."

Donna looked back at Zara, thinking about what the blonde had said. The Doctor was supposed to stop all this.

"Donna, would you consider moving to Edinburgh?"

She scoffed. "Do they have a nicer refugee camp?"

"No, not in a camp. I could set you up in a flat. You and your family."

"Why would you do that?," asked Donna.

He looked down. "Because you're my friend."

* * *

Donna couldn't get her mind off Alex's offer. The next morning she sat with her grandfather talking about it.

"I think he knows what's going on, where the Colasantos went, but he won't tell me. Or he can't."

Wilf was silent.

"I think he's in love with me," said Donna.

Wilf remained silent.

"That would be the answer to it all, wouldn't it? Alex has a posh job and he says he could set us up in a flat. We could move out of here. Zara could have a proper room of her own and go to school soon."

"Do you love him?"

Donna shrugged. "I like him. He's kind." She sighed.

"But?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I can love a man who could know where the Colasantos went and not do anything about it."

"We all have our own burdens, sweetheart."

Donna looked over at Zara speaking Italian to her dolls. Could she really justify not doing everything she could to get her daughter out of this? No matter what it meant? It wasn't as if there were some man waiting to pluck Donna from her life and make it brilliant.

* * *

Donna took Zara down to the clinic. She checked in and then sat in the chairs along with the other patients with a myriad of complaints. Zara jumped on a chair impatiently.

"Be careful, you," said Donna with a smile. "Don't want to get in an accident in the waiting room of the clinic. At the rate this queue is going, we'll still be another week."

Zara settled in Donna's lap and she cuddled against her. Donna kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, sweetheart," said Donna. "You're perfect, you know that?"

"Zara Noble!," an impatient voice called.

"Come on, sweetheart," said Donna, carrying her, following the nurse back to an exam room.

Donna took her clothes off and the nurse left, saying the doctor would be there soon.

"It's just an exam, sweetheart," said Donna. "You can finally get the rest of your inoculations. It shouldn't have taken this long, really, but now Mummy can let you play with other children without worrying about you catching something. That'll be nice, won't it?"

A man in a white coat entered. "Ms. Noble."

"We've been waiting hours," said Donna. "And it's freezing in here."

"Bloody refugees," said the doctor, "always think you ought to get more, don't you?"

"You had me undress her and then we had to wait," said Donna. "Are you trying to make her catch cold?"

The doctor looked at the chart. "Did you fill out this paperwork?"

"Yes."

"You didn't put down any illnesses," he said annoyed.

"I know," said Donna.

He looked more perturbed now. Donna caught Zara's glare at him. "She's never been ill? Not a cold, no flu?"

"No," said Donna. "Never."

The doctor looked at Zara. "She's not cold. You're right, the heat is off, but she's not bothered." He took out a thermometer and put it in her ear. It beeped. "How long has her temperature been this low?"

"She's always had a lower body temperature," said Donna.

The doctor took out his stethoscope. He put it over the right side of her chest, then moved to the left. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Just one moment," he stammered.

"But we're supposed to get inoculations," said Donna.

"I have to check something," he said leaving.

"Stupid man," said Donna. She looked at Zara. "Bloody NHS, that's the best we can do? I should have fought harder for Glasgow. Well, let's get you dressed. I'm not having you sit around naked while they get their act together."

Donna turned Zara around to face her as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"Don't worry, Zara. We aren't staying like this forever. I don't know how yet, but we won't be refugees forever. My brilliant daughter's not living her life like this." She sighed. Her mind went back to Alex's offer. "I guess I know what I have to do, don't I?"

Zara stared up at her blankly.

"That's okay," said Donna. "It's my problem. Not yours. Mummy's going to take care of everything."

"Ms. Noble?"

Donna turned to see the nurse had come back in.

"We have some more paperwork for you to fill out. Would you come with me?"

She looked at Zara. "Well, can't I do it here?"

"No, the doctor will be back in soon. Please come with me. It's just outside."

Donna kissed Zara. "I'll be right back."

* * *

The first form the nurse put down was normal. Then the next and the next and then a great huge stack.

"Look, I really need to get back to my baby," Donna said, putting down her pen. She got up and turned around to walk into a man with a lab coat.

"Ms. Noble, I'm Doctor McCoy, I have a few questions."

"I need to see my daughter-"

"Who's her father?"

"What? What does that matter?"

"Things will be a lot easier if you just tell us."

"I don't- I want to see my baby."

"When did she begin crawling? Walking? Making eye contact?"

Donna shook her head. "Four months, eight months, always. I've got to get to her-"

"Talking?"

"What does it matter?," asked Donna.

"We're just trying to get some background information."

"Mummy! Mummy!," she heard Zara call urgently.

"Let me get to her-"

The doctor stopped her, abruptly standing in front of her. That's when she heard the loudest, most blood curdling scream she had ever heard in her life. She shoved the doctor away and ran into two soldiers trying to hold her back. She watched as one of the woman soldiers in the red beret carried Zara away.

"Get out of my way!," Donna shouted. ""You better get the hell out of my way! What do you think you're doing with my baby? Where are you taking her? Zara!"

"Mummy!"

"Zara!" Donna managed to knock away one of the soldiers and dragged the other one along with her as she saw them putting Zara in the back of a Land Rover. "Zara!"

"Mummy!" The door shut. Zara's face was red and streaming with tears as she beat her tiny fists against the windows.

More soldiers arrived to drag Donna back at the Land Rover drove away, leaving Donna screaming and crying.

When she couldn't scream or cry or fight anymore, they let her go. She found it odd to be walking out alone.

"Your baby," a nurse whispered. "She had two hearts. That's why they took her away."

* * *

Donna made her way to a phone box, shoving people out of her way and dialed.

"Foreign Office Information Line."

"I need to speak to Alex Wroughton-"

"I'm sorry, he's in a meeting."

"This is Donna Noble! You get him out! This is an emergency!"

"Of course it is."

"Are you being cute, lady? Because I'm not in the mood!"

"Have you not seen the stars?"

Donna looked up.

The stars were going out. One by one, right in front of her.

She hung up the phone and turned around to see the blonde.

"I'm ready."

They were driven to a warehouse. Donna followed the blonde as she pushed a curtain aside and walked into what seemed to be a circle of mirrors with fairy lights.

A woman in a uniform saluted. "Ma'am."

"I told you," said the blonde. "Don't call me that."

"Well, if you're not going to tell us your name..."

"You don't know, either?," asked Donna.

"There's too many different realities. Trust me, the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus," said the blonde.

"She talks like that. A lot. And you must be Miss Noble."

"Donna," she said eyeing the uniform distrustfully.

The woman shook her hand. "Captain Erisa Magambo. Thank you for this."

"I don't even know what I'm doing."

"Is it awake?," the blonde asked.

"It seems to be quiet today. Ticking over. Like it's waiting."

Donna looked at the blue box attached to the apparatus.

"Do you want to see it?," asked the blonde. "Just go inside."

Donna walked in and couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was all wires and torn apart panels, but the box was bigger on the inside.

Yet she could believe it.

"Time And Relative Dimension In Space. This room used to shine with light. I think it's dying." She reached out and rubbed the console. "It's still trying to help."

"And... and she belonged to the Doctor?"

The blonde frowned at her. "Why do you say she?"

Donna had no idea. "I don't know. Ships are always she, right?"

"He was a Time Lord. Last of his kind."

"But if he's so special, what's he doing with me?"

"He thought you were brilliant."

"Don't be stupid."

"Well, you are! It just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him. He did the same to me. To everyone he touches."

"Were you and him...?"

The blonde didn't answer and just gave a wan smile.

"My daughter. Do you know where they've taken her?"

"Taken her?"

"Three weeks, though, you said I'd be ready and they took her today and I'm ready."

"I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. I meant the stars."

Donna stiffened. "You want me to help, you get someone to tell me where she is."

"I'm sorry, Donna, but there's more important things than one little girl right now."

"Not to me!," Donna shouted.

All of a sudden, a huge spark came out of one of the ravaged panels of the phone box. The rota lit up for a second, then light vanished again.

"Why did they take her away?," the woman asked as she looked around the scattered innards of the phone box with suspicion.

"They said she has two hearts and they asked all sorts of questions-" Donna stopped. The woman looked as if she had just been punched in the gut. Something was dawning on her.

"What?," Donna demanded. "What did I say?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "Nothing."

"No, I said she had two hearts and that seemed to mean something to you," Donna said.

The box hummed and sounded as if it was gasping for breath. The woman looked at Donna's back as if she was trying to change the subject.

That's when they put her in the circle of mirrors and showed her the giant black beetle on her back.

"What is it?," asked Donna.

"We don't know," said the woman.

"Oh, thanks," said Donna.

"It feeds off time. By changing time, by making someone's life take a different turn, like ... meetings never made... children never born... a life never loved. But with you, it's..."

"But I never did anything important."

"Yes, you did. One day that thing made you turn right instead of left."

"When was that?"

Donna had a flash. An elegant woman, eyes red from crying, telling her, "Turn left."

"Oh, you wouldn't remember. It was the most ordinary day in the world, but by turning right, you never met the Doctor and the whole world just changed around you."

"Can you get rid of it?," asked Donna.

"I can't even touch it. It seems to be in a state of flux."

"What does that mean?!"

"I don't know. It's the sort of thing the Doctor would say."

Donna glared. "Do you really think I'm in the mood for jokes? You lied! You said I was special, but it's this thing! I'm just a host!"

"No, there's more than that. The readings are strange it's... it's like reality's just bending round you."

"Because of this thing!"

"No, we're getting separate readings from you. And they've always been there, since the day you were born."

Donna had a flash of the woman on the floor again, imploring her to turn left. She had another flash of an old woman in front of some water.

"You have come," she said. "The Most Important Woman in Creation."

Yet another flash of a man with floppy hair and a bow tie, giving her a ridiculous smile. "So many good days, Donna Noble. The Most Important Woman in the Universe."

The woman kept speaking. "I thought it was just the Doctor we needed, but it's the both of you. The Doctor and Donna Noble. Together. To stop the stars from going out."

Donna snapped back to reality. She looked at the beetle. "Turn it off."

The machinery powered down.

"It's still there, though," said Donna, "what do I do to get rid of it?"

"You're going to travel in time."

* * *

Before she knew it, Donna was in an enormous coat with wires.

The blonde started spouting instructions. "The TARDIS has tracked down the moment of intervention, Monday the 25th, one minute past ten in the morning. Your car was on Little Sutton Street Ealing Road, but you turn right heading for Griffin's Parade. You need to turn left. That's the most important thing. You've got to go back and turn left. Have you got that, Donna? One minute past ten. Make yourself turn left, heading for the Chiswick High Road."

"Keep the jacket on at all times, it's insulation against temporal feedback," said the captain. "This will correspond to local time wherever you land."

They led her back in the circle.

"How do you know it's going to work?," asked Donna.

"Oh, uh, we're just guessing."

"Oh, great!," Donna shouted.

"Just remember, when you get to the junction, change the car's direction by one minute past ten."

"And what about Zara?"

"What?," asked the blonde.

"I do this and my baby, what happens to her?"

There was a long pause before the blonde answered. "I don't know."

* * *

Donna found herself on all fours on a street back in Chiswick. She got up and looked around. It was a normal day, such a blessedly normal day. She grinned and remembered she had to get moving.

"Hold on... but this is... I'm not... this is Sutton Court! I'm half a mile away!" She shouted at the sky. "I'm half a mile away! This is what happens when you build a time machine in a shed!"

She looked at the watch. It was 9:57.

"Oh, no. No, no, no!"

Donna realized she had no choice but to run for it.

She sprinted, gasping for breath. She looked at the watch. 9:59 and she still wasn't there.

She wasn't going to make it.

Even if blondie didn't know, she had one chance at setting things right and that was getting herself to turn left. That was the only way she was going to see Zara again. She knew it.

She looked at a blue lorry coming down the street. She knew herself and the one thing that could stop her going this way was the traffic going this direction.

She had to see Zara again.

Donna threw herself in front of the lorry.

Lying in the street, with bystanders and the lorry driver staring at her, she couldn't help but think it might have been a bad idea, wondering if this was what it felt like to have your neck broken.

Then she thought of Zara.

Then she remembered the man in the bow tie. "You are lucky and so am I. Your best days are all ahead of you. So many good days, Donna Noble. The Most Important Woman in the Universe."

She saw the blonde hovering over her. She whispered in her ear.

"Tell him this, two words..."

* * *

Donna screamed, bolting from the chair. She looked to see a giant beetle on the floor, twitching. She protectively covered her stomach, relieved to feel the baby moving again.

"What the hell is that?!," she shouted.

She looked over at the fortune teller, cowering. "You were so strong. What are you? What will you be?"

She scrambled out.

"Everything alright?"

Donna looked up to see the Doctor. "Oh, my God!" She ran to him, threw her arms around him and leaned up to kiss him.

"What was that for?," the Doctor asked smiling.

Donna froze. "I don't know."

Donna sat on a box, relieved to again feel the fluttering in her stomach, even if she didn't quite remember why. The Doctor started poking at the giant beetle with an incense stick.

"I can't remember. It's slipping away. You know like when you try and think of a dream and it just sort of... goes."

"It just got lucky, this thing. It's one of the Trickster's Brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but with you... great big parallel world!"

"Oh, yeah, that's what you love about me, my great big parallel worlds. Wait, you said parallel worlds are sealed off," said Donna.

"They should be. They are. But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, it seems to be happening a lot. To you."

"What?"

"Well, the Library. Now this. Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once. I met your grandfather. Then I met you again. In the whole wide universe, I met you for a second time. It's like something's binding us together."

Donna then remembered the main thing that was binding them together at the moment. "Doctor, I have to tell you something-"

"Not that I would rather be bound to anyone else, because, let's face it, Donna, you are brilliant."

Donna then remembered. "She said that."

"Who did?"

"That woman. I can't remember."

"Well, she never existed now, sorry, did you just say you had to tell me something?"

"She said the stars were going out."

"That world never existed, Donna."

"No, but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said the darkness is coming, even here."

"Who was she, Donna?"

Donna looked at the Doctor's intense gaze. She was trying to put it right in her head.

She suddenly felt stupid.

"It was Rose."

"Rose? How do you know it was Rose?"

"I saw her before when the Oracle took me through time. I just didn't put it together there... She said two words."

"Donna, what were they?"

She looked at the Doctor. "Bad Wolf."

The Doctor leapt up, grabbing Donna's hand. They ran out of the tent. Everywhere they looked were the words "Bad Wolf." They ran back in the TARDIS which was covered in a red light.

"Doctor, what is it? What's Bad Wolf?," asked Donna.

He turned and looked at her. "It's the end of the universe."

* * *

_A/N: Yeah, cliffhanger. Sorry, no bad similes today. Anybody got any? Reviews would be awesome. Also, the man in the bow tie (Guess who) and the elegant woman are in The Letter R if you were wondering so read that if you want. _


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. So, thanks for the reads, basically, we're doing Stolen Earth now, so spoilers. This is all Donna's POV, too, so I'm sort of assuming you've seen it. Anyway, please let me know what you think because it's getting sort of lonely and happy reading!

* * *

The Doctor immediately took he and Donna to Earth. They arrived somewhere in London and ran outside to find...

"Everything's normal," said Donna.

The only sign of activity was a milkman doing his morning deliveries.

"What day is this?," asked the Doctor.

"Saturday," the milkman answered eyeing the pair quizzically.

"I like Saturdays. Saturdays are good."

"So I just met your ex?," asked Donna.

"I don't know if I'd call her my ex," said the Doctor.

"What do you mean she's not your ex?," asked Donna.

He turned, confronted by her glare. "I didn't mean it like that! I mean there was hardly anything done that could make me consider her an 'ex' as you would put it," he said making air quotes in exasperation.

The milkman was staring at them.

"You said she was in a parallel world," said Donna. She found her memories of the Time Beetle universe were already slipping away for the most part.

"Exactly. If she can cross from her parallel world to your parallel world, then that means the walls of the universe are breaking down, which puts everything in danger. Everything, but how?"

They walked back in the TARDIS. The Doctor fidgeted around with the console.

Donna took a breath. "Okay, I get that this is a big deal and all and something really bad's happening, I get that..."

The Doctor looked up at her.

"So, Rose is coming back," said Donna.

"I'll take care of it, Donna."

"Really? How do you plan on breaking that?"

"Gently."

"I don't know if there's a gentle way to say 'Sorry you were in that parallel world, but I've found someone else'," said Donna. "You're sort of bad with big, emotional announcements."

"Like when?"

"Like 'I didn't mean the detox' and then slinking away like nothing happened."

The Doctor nodded. "Okay, you have a point."

Donna sighed, remembering the current announcement she was failing at delivering. "Doctor, I have to tell you something."

The TARDIS gave a big crash and they both fell to the floor.

"What the hell was that?," asked Donna.

"It came from outside," said the Doctor, running to the doorway.

He opened the doors and found nothing but space, rocks floating lazily by them. Donna joined him.

"What did you do?," she asked.

He ran back to the console. "We haven't moved. We're fixed. The TARDIS is still in the same place, but the Earth is gone. The entire planet... it's gone!"

Donna looked around the console. "Doctor, if the Earth's been moved, there's no sun. What'll happen? What about my Mum? And Grandad? They're dead? Aren't they? Are they dead?"

The Doctor looked up at her helplessly. "I don't know. I just don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know."

"That's my family," said Donna. "That's my whole world."

He looked up. "I know, Donna." He looked back to the monitor. "There's no readings, nothing. Not a trace. Not even a whisper. Oh, that is fearsome technology."

"So, what do we do?"

"We've got to get help." He went back to the navigation controls. "Donna, I'm taking you to the Shadow Proclamation. Hold tight."

Donna gripped the console. "And that is what, exactly?!"

"Posh name for police. Outer space police. Here we go!" He initiated a control that sent him on his back onto the console.

He got up.

"Okay, just a few things before we go," said the Doctor.

"You're giving me tips about a place?," asked Donna. "Before we go? That's different."

"Yeah, first thing, you might not want to say we're married."

Donna narrowed her gaze. "Why not?"

"Well, you might be treated as an accessory to various... things."

"What things?"

"Laws are a little different here. They arrested the Oracle once. That really wasn't good for anyone. When you get out there, you might notice that this place is asteroids that are connected by walkways and one of the walkways doesn't go anywhere..."

"Is that what they want you for?," Donna asked with dread.

"No, that's what they want her for. Like I said various things. She didn't take it too kindly."

"What things?," Donna repeated.

"Well, if I told you about them, then you would know, then you might actually be an accessory."

"To what?!"

"Well," said the Doctor looking around, "theft of a TARDIS."

"What?!"

They walked outside and were greeted by rhinos in black leather.

"Sco po tro no flow jo ko fo to to."

The Doctor answered them. "No bo ho so ko ro toe so."

Donna looked over at him.

"Bo-ko-do-zo-go-bo-fo-po-jo!," the Doctor continued.

The rhino men lowered their guns.

"Ma ho," the Doctor finished.

"What did you just call me?," asked Donna.

They were led to the office of the Shadow Architect. She was sort of thin and pale with cross-looking red eyes.

Or maybe that was just seeing the Doctor.

"Time Lords are the stuff of legend. They belong in the myths and whispers of the Higher Species. You cannot possibly exist," she said.

"Maybe they lost your arrest warrants," Donna whispered.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah, more to the point, I've got a missing planet."

"Then, you're not as wise as the stories would say. The picture is far bigger than you imagine. The whole universe is in outrage, Doctor - twenty-four worlds have been taken from the sky."

"How many? Which ones?"

A three-dimensional map popped up. The Doctor ran and put his glasses on.

"The locations range far and wide. They all disappeared at the exact same moment, leaving no trace," said the Shadow Architect.

"Callufrax Minor, Jahoo, Shallacatop, Woman Wept, Clom - Clom's gone?! Who'd want Clom?"

"Didn't you say they had a Disneyland once?," asked Donna.

The Doctor glanced back at her. "It's not as good as Disney Planet."

"All different sizes. Some populated, some not, but all unconnected," said the Architect.

"What about Pyrovilia?," asked Donna.

The Shadow Architect looked crossly at Donna. "Who is the female?"

Donna stiffened. "Donna. I'm a human being. Maybe not the stuff of legend, but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you." Donna looked at the Doctor, catching his smile. "Way back when we started, that auger, he said Pyrovilia had gone missing."

"Pyrovilia is a cold case," said the Judoon. "Not relevant."

"What do you mean?," asked Donna.

"The planet Pyrovilia cannot be part of this, it disappeared over two-thousand years ago," said the Shadow Architect.

"Yes, yes. Hang on. But there's the Adipose breeding planet too. Miss Foster said that was lost. That must have been a long time ago." She looked up at the Doctor.

"That's it! Donna, brilliant! The planets have been taken out of time as well as space. Now, if we add Pyrovilia and Adipose 3." He stopped and stared at it, searching. "There's something missing. Where else, where else, where else, lost, lost, lost, lost...? Oh! The Lost Moon of Poosh!"

"Poosh?," asked Donna.

The Doctor added it and the planets rearranged themselves.

"What was that?," asked Donna.

"What did you do?," asked the Shadow Architect.

"I didn't do anything," said the Doctor, staring at the planets. "They arranged themselves. They fit together like that, like a puzzle, like an engine. It's like a power house. But what for?"

He turned around. "Donna, come on, think. Earth. There must have been some sort of warning. Was there anything happening back in your day, like... electrical storms, freak weather, patterns in the sky?"

"How should I know? I don't know..."

The Doctor sighed, turning away.

"Although there were the bees disappearing," said Donna.

"The bees, Donna?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, the bees!"

"The bees!"

"Shouting at me won't help! That's all I have!"

"No, Donna, the bees! The bees disappearing!" He ran to the computer.

"How is this significant?," asked the architect.

Donna hurried over next to the Doctor. "On Earth, we have these insects. Some people said it was pollution or mobile phone signals."

"Or they were going home," said the Doctor.

"Going home?," asked Donna.

"To Melissa Majoria."

"You mean bees are aliens?" She then realized what the inevitable response for this comment was.

"Don't be ridiculous, Donna. Not all of them." He turned to see her mouthing the words he had just said. She smiled at him. "Anyway... if the migrant bees felt something, some sort of danger, and escaped... Tandocca!"

"The Tandocca Scale," said the Architect.

"The what?," asked Donna.

"The Tandocca Scale is a series of wavelengths used as carrier signals by migrant bees. Infinitely small, no wonder we didn't see it. It's like looking for a speck of cinnamon in the Sahara. But look!There it is! The Tandocca trail!," he said pointing at the screen. "The transmat that moved that planets was using the same wavelength! We can follow the path!"

Donna was already running for the TARDIS. "And find the Earth! Well, stop talking and do it!"

"I am!," he said running after her.

"Doesn't look like it! Still scared of my mum?!"

"She had an axe, Donna!"

Donna looked back, totally relishing being in front of him for a change. They rushed to the console.

"We're a bit late. The signal's scattered, but it's a start!" He hurried back to the door to talk to the Shadow Architect. "I've got a blip! It's just a blip, but it's definitely a blip."

"Then according to the strictures of the Shadow Proclamation, I will have to seize your transport and your technology."

"Oh, really? What for?"

"The planets were stolen with hostile intent. We are declaring war, Doctor! Right across the universe! And you will lead us into battle!"

Donna looked over at the Doctor. He didn't seem to be loving this idea. "Right. Yes. Course I will. Just go and... get you a key."

He shut the door and ran back to the console. "Just so you know, you are probably an accessory to that."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Being married to you has some many benefits."

He started the controls. The rota rose and fell as they hung on to the console. Then it stopped.

Donna looked at the Doctor. "What just happened?"

"It stopped."

"What do you mean? Is that good or bad? Where are we?"

"The Medusa Cascade." He looked at her. "I came here when I was just a kid. Ninety years old. It was the center of a rift in time and space."

"Where are the planets?," asked Donna.

"Nowhere. The Tandocca trail stops dead. End of the line."

"So, what do we do? Doctor? What do we do?"

He looked at her with an air of defeat.

She shook her head. "Please, Doctor, don't give up. You never give up. I never gave up on you. Please, this is my planet, my family. Now, tell me what we're going to do."

The Doctor sat on the jump seat. He motioned for Donna to join him. She did, slumping with her head on his shoulder.

"We're going to be together," said the Doctor. "Alright? No matter what."

Donna nodded, she felt tears coming down her face. "Yeah."

She finally realized what he had been going through all this time. How much pain. They were alike now.

"Doctor," said Donna, "I have to tell you something."

There was a beeping from the console.

"Phone!," the Doctor shouted, leaping towards it.

"Phone!," Donna echoed.

He picked the mobile up off the console. "Martha, is that you?!" He looked at Donna. "It's a signal."

"Can we follow it?"

He pulled his stethoscope out of his pocket. "Oh, you watch me, Donna!"

He put the mobile on the console and pressed the stethoscope to it. "Got it! Locking on!"

He started the console controls again. "We're travelling through time! One second in the future! The phone call's pulling us through!"

The TARDIS began lurching more than usual, like a rollercoaster.

Donna gripped the console. "I'm going to be sick."

"What's that, Donna?" The Doctor shouted. He turned his attention back to the console. "Three, two, one!"

The lurched around again, finally ending up still. Donna made her way to look at the monitor with the Doctor.

"You look green," said the Doctor.

"Never mind that," said Donna. "There's the Earth. Why couldn't we see it?"

"The entire Medusa Cascade has been put a second out of sync with the rest of the universe. Perfect hiding place, tiny little pocket of time. But we found them!" The screen began blurring and the Doctor reached to adjust it. "Oh, what is that? Some sort of subwave network..."

Suddenly the screen was split into squares. Martha on one, but Donna didn't know the rest as they began talking over her.

"Where have you been?"

"It's the Daleks!"

"But it's not just Dalek Caan!"

"They're taking the people! But we don't know what for!"

Donna looked at the Doctor. "Who are these people?"

"Well, that must be Torchwood, aren't they brilliant? Oh." He turned to face her. "That's Jack, just..." He turned back to the screen and pointed a finger at the man. "Don't. And that's Sarah Jane. Who's that boy?"

"So, it's like outer space Facebook!"

"Yeah, everyone's here..." said the Doctor.

The screen turned to white noise.

"We lost them," said Donna.

"No, no, no, no, no! There's another signal coming through, there's someone else out there." He hit the top of the monitor. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Doctor..." a voice said.

The Doctor gripped Donna's wrist.

"Your voice is different, and yet, its arrogance is unchanged."

A figure appeared on the screen, a man Donna thought would be best described as a mix of the Star Wars Emperor and a wheelchair. He spoke. "It is only fitting that you should bear witness to the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, Lord and Creator of the Dalek Race."

His grip got tighter.

"Have you got nothing to say?"

"Doctor, it's alright," said Donna. "We're in the TARDIS. We're safe."

The Doctor kept his gaze fixed on Davros. "But you were destroyed. In the first year of the Time War at the Gates of Elysium. I saw your command ship flying into the jaws of the Nightmare Child. I tried to save you..."

"But it took one stronger than you. Dalek Caan himself."

A robot, pepper pot thing appeared. Donna realized it was a Dalek, the thing she had only heard about.

It looked like a pepper pot.

"I flew into the wild and fire. I danced and died a thousand times!"

Clearly, a mad pepper pot.

"Emergency temporal shift took him back into the Time War itself," said Davros.

"But that's impossible, the entire War is time-locked," said the Doctor.

"And yet, he succeeded. Oh, it cost him his mind, but imagine - a single, simple Dalek succeeded where Emperors and Time Lords have failed. A testament, don't you think, to my remarkable creations?

"And you made a new race of Daleks," said the Doctor.

"I gave myself to them. Quite literally. Each one grown from a cell of my own body." He opened his jacket to reveal visible ribs and heart.

"I'm going to be sick," Donna whispered.

"New Daleks. True Daleks. I have my children, Doctor. What do you have, now?"

"Davros," he said, "After all this time... everything we saw, everything we lost... I have only one thing to say to you. Bye!"

He pulled a lever and looked madly at Donna as the TARDIS landed.

"Okay," said Donna, "just tell me you're okay. I understand about the Daleks and all. Just you're not about to go mad or anything?"

"Well, no more than usual."

Donna nodded. "Okay."

He frowned at her. "Are you alright? You said you weren't feeling well. Do you need to stay in here?"

Donna shook her head. Just now he was paying attention! "I'm not letting you go out there on your own."

They stepped out of the TARDIS. The street was a shambles, devoid of people.

"We're here," said Donna, following the Doctor out. "It's like a ghost town."

"Sarah Jane said they were taking the people, but what for? Donna, in the parallel universe, what did Rose say?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

The Doctor turned to see Rose. She was holding a giant gun. Rose began running towards them and that's when the Doctor spotted the Dalek coming from the shadows.

"Rose, don't!," he shouted, sprinting towards her.

"Exterminate!"

Donna realized instantly what it was and that's when it shot the Doctor.

"Doctor!," Donna shouted, horrified. Someone blew the head off the Dalek as she ran towards the Doctor. She held him. "Come on. I've got you. It missed, right? It missed!"

The Doctor was looking at Donna. "I'm sorry, Donna."

She shook her head. "What? Don't be sorry."

"This is it."

Donna realized what he meant.

"This regeneration?"

"Yeah."

He looked afraid.

She shook her head. "I won't leave you. I promise."

Rose's arrival was signalled by the clattering of a large gun on the tarmac. She knelt down beside the Doctor, trying to take him in her arms, clearly having missed that he and Donna were in the middle of something.

"It's alright, Doctor, I'm here."

"Hi..." the Doctor said uneasily. "Long time no see."

Rose smiled. "Oh, you know, I was busy." She was starting to lose it. "Don't die. Oh, my God, don't die."

"Come on." Donna looked up to see Jack had arrived in the flesh. "Let's get him in the TARDIS."

* * *

_Next Time: Journey's End and things get awkward... Reviews are like thinking you had finished off your bag of Nestle Crunch Easter Eggs and finding there was one more! Or insert Easter candy of your choice. _


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks for reading and following and reviewing. I hope you're enjoying it. This one's a bit shorter. Please let me know what you think because I would really love to hear from you and happy reading!

* * *

Donna and Rose helped the Doctor up off the street. Jack picked up Rose's gun and looked around the perimeter as he followed them.

The Doctor writhed and moaned in pain as Donna and Rose helped him into the TARDIS. He laid down on the metal grating. Rose was already in tears.

The Doctor looked to Donna. She took his hand. Her eyes were full of water. "It's going to be fine."

"Just step back," said Jack, putting the guns down. He helped Donna up first. Donna watched as he gave her a double take and there was an odd sniff of his nose. Something seemed to be dawning on him.

"Okay, Rose, come on," said Jack, pulling her up. "He's dying, you know what happens next."

"I just got here," Rose protested. "You can't go now, when I just found you again."

Donna couldn't help herself. "Do you really think that's the most pressing issue at the moment?!"

For better or worse, Rose ignored her because flames were already shooting from the Doctor. They watched as the Doctor's body erupted into a gold light. He was screaming. Somehow Donna hadn't expected it to be like this. When he explained to her about regeneration, he had left out the pain, though she couldn't really expect death to be painless, it just hurt her to see him suffer and she knew the baby felt it as well. Donna tried to brace herself for the arrival of a floppy haired man who would shout about Jammie Dodgers.

Then suddenly he moved to the jar that held his spare hand. The energy all went in the jar and he smiled back at them, no floppy hair or bow tie in sight.

"What did you do?," asked Donna.

"You see? Used the regeneration energy to heal myself, but as soon as that was done, I didn't need to change. I didn't want to, why would I?" He tweaked his tie and winked at Donna. "Look at me! So, to stop the energy going all the way, I siphoned off the rest into a handy bio-matching receptacle - namely, my hand. My hand, there. My handy spare hand."

Donna approached carefully. She then threw her arms around him.

Rose looked affronted having to wait her turn.

"Yeah, Rose," Jack whispered, "might want to chill out a little with the hugging."

"She's not!," Rose hissed.

Suddenly, the power cut out. The Doctor leapt to the console with Donna following him.

"They've got us. Power's gone... some kind of chronon loop!," said the Doctor.

The TARDIS lurched dangerously. Donna fell into Jack.

"Okay, there you go," said Jack setting her straight. The Doctor shot a look over. Jack put his hands up as if surrendering. "There's a Dalek ship at the center of this. They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination."

Donna looked at the Doctor. "You said these planets were like an engine. What's it for?"

"Rose! You've been in a parallel world, that world's running ahead of this universe, you've seen the future, what was it?"

"It's the darkness," said Rose.

"The stars were going out," added Donna.

"And they were just dying. Basically, we've been building this um... this travel machine, this... uh... Dimension Cannon, so I could... well, so I could..."

"What?," asked the Doctor.

"So I could come back!," she said with a smile, laughing.

Donna shot the Doctor a look. This wasn't going to go well, even if they lived. His expression of bewilderment seemed to signal an an agreement. She then caught a glance at Jack trying to not make eye contact with anyone.

Rose continued on, blissfully unaware. "Anyway, suddenly, it started to work. And the dimensions started to collapse. Not just in our world, not just in yours, but the whole of reality, even the Void was dead. Something is... destroying everything."

"In that parallel world, you said something about me," asked Donna.

"The Dimension Cannon could measure timelines, and it's... it's weird, Donna, but they all seem to converge on you."

"What do you mean on me?," asked Donna. She found her hand drifting to her stomach again.

The TARDIS computer beeped.

"Dalek Crucible," announced the Doctor. "All aboard."

The TARDIS landed with a crash. The Doctor looked at Donna.

"We'll have to go out because if we don't they'll come in here."

"You said nothing could get through those doors," said Rose.

"You've got extrapolator shielding," Jack argued.

"Last time we fought the Daleks, they were scavengers and hybrids and mad. But this is a fully fledged Dalek Empire at the height of its power. Experts at fighting TARDISes, they can do anything. Right now, that wood door is just... wood."

Donna thought she was going to be ill. The Doctor squeezed her hand. Then all she could hear was the deafening sound of a heartbeat as the others rattled on.

This wasn't right. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. She had a baby! A baby that hadn't even been born yet, they couldn't die...

The heartbeat grew louder and louder,

"Donna?" The Doctor took her by the shoulders. "Donna."

"Yeah," she said finally snapping back to face him.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do."

Donna nodded. "I know."

She was feeling ill and the pounding of the heart continued as the Doctor turned towards the door.

"It was good, though, wasn't it?" He turned to Rose. "You were brilliant."

Rose beamed.

Then he turned to Jack.

"You were brilliant."

Then he turned to Donna and took her hand in his. "And you were so brilliant, Donna Noble. Thank you, for everything."

He still didn't know. The best bit. The worst bit. She smiled at him. "Yeah," she agreed. "You weren't so bad, either."

"Blimey," said the Doctor. He moved to face the door and found Donna not moving with him. "Donna?"

"I just need a moment," she said. "I'll be right there."

The Doctor nodded. Rose moved to follow him first, then Jack.

Donna's hand drifted down to her stomach. "I'm sorry, Zara."

Then it got worse.

Donna braced herself, walked to the door and it slammed shut in front of her.

"No, no, no." She started banging on the door. "Doctor! Doctor! I'd like to come out now!" She rattled the handle. "Doctor! What have you done?!"

She heard him on the other side, trying the door. "I haven't done anything!"

"Oi, I'm not staying behind!"

"No, no, no..." She heard him shouting at the Daleks. "What did you do?!"

"Doctor, please," Donna begged, tears forming. Whatever was going to happen, she wanted to be with him.

Donna couldn't hear the Daleks' side of the conversation. "Stop it!," said the Doctor. "Open the door and let her out!"

Then the TARDIS fell. Donna grasped onto the railings. She was crying now. She crawled beside the console as fires sprang up around her from the floor grating.

Then she could hear that heartbeat and turned to the jar with the Doctor's hand in it.

It was glowing.

She didn't know why but she reached for it. She gasped, shaking as the glass smashed.

Then she watched as the hand grew into her husband.

Which was just weird.

"It's you," said Donna.

"Oh, yes."

"You're naked."

"Come on, Donna. Time and a place," he said with a wink.

He reached up and hit a button on the console. Donna watched in confusion as he started putting on a blue pinstripe suit and t-shirt.

"All repaired! Lovely. Shh! No one knows we're here. Gotta keep quiet. Silent running, like on submarines when they can't even drop a spanner. Don't drop a spanner. I like blue, what do you think?"

"You are bonkers!," Donna hissed.

"You like the blue suit! I know you like the blue suit, you think I look sexier in it than the brown but you never say anything!," he hissed back. "Wait. Two way biological metacrisis. I grew out of you. I know everything you like. I know-"

Donna watched as his eyes drifted towards her stomach.

Not the argument she had been expecting. Mostly since she had been expecting to have it with the Doctor, not the version of him that had just grown out of his old hand.

"You didn't say anything!," he whispered.

"You were being emo!," she hissed back.

"You don't get to make that decision alone! You should have told me!," he hissed back. "You were going to leave!"

"Yeah, thank God I didn't do that! Look at all this fun!"

"Shh! Spanners!"

"Well, what do you want to do? Discuss baby names?! I'm pretty committed to Zara so there! Done discussing!"

"No! Not done! What about Pocahontas?!"

"No! I'm not calling my baby Pocahontas! Are you insane?!"

"It's a name!"

There was something on the TARDIS monitor. The Duplicate walked over.

"The twenty-seven planets, that's...Single-stream Z-Neutrinos compressed into...no. No way..."

"What is it?," asked Donna.

He looked up. "The end of the universe."

"Great. As long as we're being specific."

He began babbling and dashing around the TARDIS and building some sort of ray gun.

"So, what is this thing?

"It's our only hope. A Z-Neutrino biological inversion catalyzer."

"Yeah. Earth girl, remember?"

He continued screwing it together. "Davros said he built those Daleks out of himself. His genetic code runs through the entire race. If I can use this to lock the Crucible's transmission onto Davros himself..."

"It destroys the Daleks?"

"Biggest backfire in history."

"And that'll work?," asked Donna.

"We're about to find out." The Duplicate finished and kicked a TARDIS lever with his foot. "Ready! Maximum power!"

The TARDIS stopped. The Duplicate looked at Donna. "Stay in here!"

"But-"

The Duplicate was giving her the super serious Doctor look. "No arguments! Your job, your only job today is keeping her safe and that means staying in here!"

The Duplicate ran out onto the Dalek Crucible. Donna watched from behind the door as he ran towards Davros with the ray gun. Electricity flew from his finger and knocked him down. An invisible holding cell sprang up around him, but the gun was outside it.

Donna ran towards it and picked up the device. "Doctor! What do I do?!"

Then that same finger sprang forth and struck her with electricity. She flew backwards into a heap.

"Donna!," the Doctor shouted. "Donna, are you alright?"

That's where things got different.

* * *

_A/N: Wonder what happens... Reviews are like if I got paid to write this. That's probably not happening..._


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks for the reads and if you are still reading this, it would make my day to hear from you. So, if you haven't read Regarding Mrs Smith, you're fine. If you have, I am again revisiting old territory in what is hopefully an interesting way. Anyway, thank you so much and happy reading!

* * *

The Doctor liked to boast that he wasn't afraid of anything. There had been something.

The night after they dropped off Agatha Christie, the Doctor and Donna had gone through their normal routine of dinner and books. He had been surprised how quickly he and Donna had developed one. He never quite had before and with Donna it had just cropped up. Then what had struck him most was how little they could talk. They spent so much time talking all day and in the right conversation struck them, they could go all night. There was something so right when they were quiet, though.

The Doctor staring at Donna finally realized what it was.

"I'm off to bed," said Donna. "Good night, Doctor."

She left.

"I didn't mean the detox," the Doctor said to an empty room.

* * *

The Doctor paced the console room at s breakneck pace for the better part of the night.

He had two choices. He could go on with Donna as they were, best mates, forget about the kiss and then go on as they were. The main peril to that plan was that eventually some man would figure out how wonderful she was and the Doctor would have to watch.

Or he could tell her.

He must have turned towards the corridor and back again a hundred times. Then for some reason, he went.

The door opened. Donna was in bed, but he saw her twitching at the light.

"Donna, are you awake?"

She mumbled something, he was fairly certain it was in the affirmative.

"I just wanted to say, I didn't meant the detox."

From there, it was as if the course of his life had changed. They fell in love, they got married, they made plans...

Now none of those plans were going to happen and for Donna, even their past would not have happened.

* * *

The Doctor was left staring at Donna. Everyone was all smiles, piloting the TARDIS back to Earth. He was looking at her.

She had been brilliant, so brilliant, thinking of things he never would have thought of. She had saved the day and saved the entire universe and if he didn't take that away from her she was going to die.

So he would have to take that away.

Which meant he was going to die. He wasn't even sure that he cared anymore. When she had gone with the TARDIS, he had pretty much settled on dying then. She had come back and he was so relieved to see her, little did he know it was just a day's reprieve. He had begged her to stay with him and he wished he hadn't. Anything would be better than this. If she hated him, it would be better than her never remembering him.

He had been right after Midnight. Davros had been right.

He did destroy people.

"Doctor," said Rose.

He walked away from her. He soon felt the Duplicate beside him, dragging him into the art gallery.

"You're thinking about Donna and what you have to do," said the Duplicate.

"I'll take care of it," said the Doctor.

"Yeah," said the Duplicate. "I figured I wouldn't be around for it. I'm going to lose my wife today, but you're not going to lose yours."

"How is that?"

The Duplicate looked at him in disgust. "She's pregnant, you moron! She's known since Barcelona!"

"She didn't say..." the Doctor said quietly.

"Yeah, maybe if you got your head out from your arse time to time she might fill you in. Then you ran to Rose-"

"There was a Dalek-"

"Is there a reason you can't just tell her you don't love her anymore? Maybe you never did."

"And what do you expect me to do now?"

"I expect you to give her the best chance, I expect you to protect our daughter."

"And how do I do that?"

"You have to take away her memory, but you can tell her a story, tell her she lost her memory in an accident. Earth's a shambles, shouldn't be so hard to sell."

"And who will I be?"

"John Smith."

"John Smith?!"

"If you don't want to stay, I will," said the Duplicate. "I've already only got one heart. I won't need a perception filter. Then there's the baby. You can get Martha to help you with the medical stuff. She's going to be in for a bit of a shock. You had better go and get her."

The Doctor walked sheepishly out to the console room under his clone's orders. Jack was standing between Rose and Donna. The women were shooting daggers at each other.

"Martha, could I see you for a moment?"

"Yeah," said Martha. She hurried out and that's when the Doctor noticed the way Donna's hand was over her stomach. That's why she had been afraid and in shock on the Crucible: for their child.

* * *

They went back to the art gallery. The Doctor could barely speak. Martha stood staring at the twin Doctors.

"Doctor, did something happen between you and Donna?," asked Martha.

"Yes," the Doctor admitted.

"Yes, I need your help. Donna's pregnant."

"What? Humans and Time Lords? That's possible?"

"Well, yes, obviously," said the Doctor.

"I wouldn't say it was obvious," said Martha. "I just found out you two were going out-"

"We are married!," said the Doctor.

"Okay, well, that's a surprise as well." Martha paused. "What's the plan?"

"Donna's mind is going to burn from the metacrisis," said the Doctor. "She'll die if I don't take away her memories. We'll have to hide from her that the baby is Time Lord until she can handle it."

"You're gonna pretend to be human?"

"Yes, I'll need you to sort the medical details and handle the birth."

Martha nodded. "We need Jack."

"What?," asked the Doctor.

"Torchwood. He's got a whole team. They can provide you with a cover, help you pass as human, keep an eye out."

The Doctor grimaced. "I'll be right back."

The Doctor left. Martha turned to the Duplicate.

"Okay, what do you know?"

"Oh, I know it all." He sighed. "The usual. He stared at her cleavage. She stole glances at his bum. Said they weren't a couple, yeah, right."

Martha smiled. "What about Rose?"

"What about her?"

"Well, is he going to bother telling her?"

"Probably not," said the Duplicate. "Probably just dump her back in the alternate universe."

Martha shook her head. "Blimey, I should have known, the way she had him on his toes."

Jack entered whooping.

"I knew it! I could smell it!"

"Smell what?," asked Martha.

"Time Baby! I can't believe he couldn't!," Jack said motioning at the Doctor. "You dog!"

The Doctor glared.

"I mean, I'm not judging. Seriously, why would I? And Donna, I bet she is..."

The Doctor's glare deepened and Jack decided he may have gone too far. It wasn't good to discuss a Time Lord's mate. The old legends told that much.

"I bet she is just very intelligent. Yeah." He looked at the Duplicate. "So, you're going with Rose?"

Sarah Jane entered the art gallery.

"I can't take it anymore," she said. "I know something's going on. You're all in here and Donna and Rose are out there ready to claw each other's eyes out."

"Donna's pregnant!," Jack said ecstatically. "We're having a Time Baby!"

If anyone expected Sarah Jane to flinch, they would have been wrong. "Well, that explains everything except why you're all hiding in here."

The Doctor turned to Jack. "What is this 'we?' We are not having a Time Baby. Donna and I are."

"Come on," said Jack. "Can't I be a godfather or something?"

"No!," was the immediate response of both Doctors.

"Why not?," Jack whined.

"You're really asking that?," asked Martha. Jack gave her a look. "Hey, I'm asking that as someone who likes you."

"So, what's this meeting all about?," asked Sarah Jane.

"Donna's mind could burn from the metacrisis. The Doctor's going to pose as human until she can remember him."

We're trying to work out a way for the Doctor to pose as human until we can fix her mind," said Jack.

Sarah Jane looked at the Duplicate. "What about you?"

"It seems as if I have to go with Rose." He looked at the original. "I'm giving it a month. Honestly. That's it."

"I've been out there. You might not want to commit that long," said Jack. "A little obsessive, I think."

"Donna's not obsessive!", said the Doctor.

"I meant Rose."

"That's who I thought he meant.", said Sarah Jane.

"Rose is not obsessive! When did we start dividing into Team Rose and Team Donna?," said the Doctor.

"We could make t-shirts.", mused the Duplicate.

"I'm not saying I'm Team Donna, but it seems like he might want to think before he commits to anything long term," said Jack.

"She stalked you from another universe," said Martha. "That's obsessive."

Jack, Sarah Jane and the Duplicate all muttered acknowledgments of agreement.

"Martha!", exclaimed the Doctor. "Could we all discuss something useful?"

"My team can make you an identity, give you a work history, get you a house," said Jack.

"What? A house?" The Doctor looked as if he was in shock. The others couldn't help but enjoy it a little.

"You know, the up and down thing with doors and windows?", said Sarah Jane.

"I know what a house is!"

"It's like the TARDIS, but it's the same size on the inside.", smirked Jack.

"You know, I am glad you lot are having fun with this," snapped the Doctor.

Jack smiled. "It's what I do instead of charging you money. This is going to be fun."

The Doctor hid his internal groan. Just then, Mickey entered.

"I thought this was the kitchen," said Mickey. "What are you all doing in here?"

Everyone exchanged glances.

"Uh, yeah," said Mickey, "does anybody know what's going on between Rose and Donna?"

They again exchanged glances.

"Why? What's happening?," the Doctor asked.

"Well, Rose started telling one of her stories about you- lot of fun by the way- and Donna said maybe this would be a good time for her to pack all of her eye makeup and peroxide."

"Oh, blimey," said the Doctor, hurrying out.

Mickey turned back to the group. "What's that all about?"

Jack looked around at the others. "Okay, Mickey Mouse, no easy way to say this. The guy who Rose dumped for you-"

"I didn't get dumped!"

"Okay, sure, anyway, he's married to Donna and they're having a baby."

Mickey was stunned. "I'll kill him, see what face he comes back with next time!"

"Mickey..." said Jack.

"No, seriously, I had to drive in a Jeep to Norway so he could Skype Rose! And back again! Then I had to listen to her go on and on and on! And then the Dimension Cannon came along and we had to get that working so she could go back to the Doctor again!"

"Did you want him to send a wedding announcement?," asked Sarah Jane.

"Yes!," said Mickey.

"From another dimension?," she continued.

"Mickey, I know how you feel," said Martha. "I had to listen to him go on about Rose for a year and now- no, wait. I'm sorry, I prefer him with Donna. She'll keep him in line."

"Just don't cause a scene," said Jack. "It's already bad enough with Rose and having to take away Donna's memory."

"Why?"

"The metacrisis," answered Sarah Jane. "The Doctor will have to pose as human."

Mickey scoffed. "Yeah, I'll believe that."

"You could see it," said Jack. "We're going to need a lot of help pulling this off. Assuming you don't want to go back to the parallel world."

Mickey shook his head. "I don't think so, mate. You think I want to go back to that after he's dumped her?"

"Lucky me," said the Duplicate.

Suddenly, Donna's shouting became audible.

"We should go help," said Martha. "We can at least help the Doctor buffer them."

"Quite right," said Sarah Jane.

The ladies hurried out. Then Mickey. The Duplicate turned to follow but found Jack's hand on his shoulder.

"Are you propositioning me?," asked the Duplicate.

"Would it work?"

"No."

"Okay then, the Doctor and Donna. I want details."

* * *

"Alright, Donna, let's go," said the Doctor, helping her out of the console room.

Their bedroom appeared as the next door and the Doctor steered her in.

"Is there a reason you haven't told that girl you're not interested!," Donna snapped.

"Uh, towing the Earth?," asked the Doctor.

"Maybe you'd like to stay with her. Maybe I should just go off on my own! I know everything you know, now, see? I could fly this thing myself. Probably better! Let's just pack your things as well-"

"No, no, no," said the Doctor, steering her away from the cupboard. He would have argued more, but he knew part of this was the effects of the metacrisis. "Donna, this isn't you."

"No?"

"No, it's me. Me in your head." He drew a breath. More to the point, he didn't have much time. He sat her on the bed. "Donna, I'm not having this argument. I'm not having any arguments with you. I have a limited amount of time to deliver her and Jackie back to their universe."

"Dimensional retroclosure," said Donna. "I get that stuff now."

"So just stay in here and try not to excite yourself. She'll be gone soon."

There was a knock at the door. Martha peered in. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," said Donna.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," said the Doctor. He nodded at Martha.

Martha came and sat next to Donna. "You know, this is the first time I've been in the Doctor's bedroom."

Donna felt herself starting to slow down. "Yeah."

"How's your head?," asked Martha.

Donna was about to answer, but found words failing her at that particular moment. Her lip trembled and she started sobbing, falling into a heap that Martha was quick to embrace.

"Hey, you're alright," said Martha. "I've got you. It's gonna be alright."

* * *

They made the first stop at Earth and then it was off to the parallel world. The Duplicate, Jackie and Rose disembarked.

"Okay," said the Doctor, "here we are, Bad Wolf Bay."

Rose looked up in shock. "This is the parallel world."

"Yeah, it's the parallel world. You live there."

The Duplicate shook his head. The Doctor really wasn't pulling this off at all.

"What do you mean? I went all that way to find you, I want to be with you-"

The Doctor pretty much had his hand on the TARDIS doorknob. "I really have to go."

Jackie watched the proceedings in bewilderment.

"Anyway, Rose Tyler, have a good life," the Doctor said hoping that would be enough.

Of course it was not. "Wait!," said Rose. "You can't just leave me like this!"

"Rose, he needs you," the Doctor said, looking at the Duplicate. "He was born in battle, full of anger and rage. Remind you of anyone?"

"He's not you, though. You're the Doctor," said Rose. "You need me."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, Rose, I'm sorry. I don't need you anymore."

She looked stunned, as if she wanted to disprove it. "When I last stood on this beach on the worst day of my life... what was the last thing you said to me? Go on, say it."

"I said 'Rose Tyler.'"

"Yeah, and how was that sentence going to end?"

There was a long silence as the wind blew onto the shore.

"No," said the Doctor.

"Tell me!," Rose insisted.

The Doctor shook his head. He didn't mean it anymore, he didn't want to waste any more time here. "No."

The Duplicate didn't look happy, but he knew he was going to have to put an end to this. He leaned over and whispered in Rose's ear. She turned to him, grabbed him by the lapel and kissed him.

The Doctor thought that was a great opportunity to leave. He hurried back in the TARDIS to where Donna and Martha were waiting and took them back to their universe.


	13. Chapter 13

It was still cold and raining the next morning when they wheeled Donna in on a stretcher to King's Cross Hospital. They set her up in her room as Jack, Ianto, Mickey and Martha buzzed around.

The Doctor for his part set at her bedside, fervently hoping this would work.

"Okay," said Jack, "remember our story is that she got here last night in the aftermath of the Planets mess."

"Just nobody say planets," added Martha.

"We're not even going to speak to her," added Ianto.

"Just stick with the story," said Jack. "Martha, clothes, bag."

"On it," said Martha taking the things they'd gotten from the TARDIS. She put the clothes and bag in the bureau. "Wait, would she still have her bag?"

"What?," asked Jack.

Marta seemed to be weighing the options. "I'm just saying, absolute chaos, why didn't somebody take her bag?"

"So, no bag?," asked Ianto.

"Wait, if somebody took her bag, how did the Doctor, I mean, John ever find her?," asked Mickey. "It would have her driving license."

"Bag stays," Jack said.

"Bag stays," said Martha, putting it back in the bureau. "Doctor, how long until that anesthetic wears off?"

"Twenty minutes, six seconds," said the Doctor.

"You remember the story?," asked Jack.

"Yes, I remember the story," the Doctor said tersely.

"Could you tell it back to me?"

The Doctor turned and gave a glare.

"It's just it's the same story we've all been learning," Martha said softly. "It only works if all the details are right."

"We were out to breakfast," said the Doctor. "The sky went dark, planets appeared in the sky, we had to run from the Daleks-"

"Pepper pots," Ianto interjected. "That's what everyone's calling them. No one's big on details."

"We had to run from the pepper pots, we got separated, though I don't know why I would let myself get separated from my pregnant wife," he added bitterly. "I looked for her. I checked every hospital until we came here, a witness said she hit her head at a tube station."

"Okay," said Jack.

"You might have agreed to meet back at the house," said Ianto.

"What?," asked the Doctor.

Ianto cleared his throat. "If there was a crowd and it was chaotic, like it might be if armies of pepper pots invaded, you might have agreed to meet back at the house if you got separated. Just a thought."

They all looked to the Doctor for his approval.

"Fine," said the Doctor.

"You need to change," said Jack.

* * *

The Doctor went back to the spare room Torchwood had and looked at the clothes Ianto had given him. Jeans, a Rolling Stones t-shirt that was actually his, a hoodie. He got to keep the shoes. That was something. The rest of it just felt so wrong.

He joined them in Torchwood's room. Ianto, Jack and Mickey were waiting.

"We just sent Martha in," said Jack, motioning at the monitors of the room. "Donna's just waking up."

Martha was talking. "We were wondering when you might wake up. I'm Doctor Jones. How are you feeling, Mrs. Smith?"

Donna spoke and the Doctor was relieved to hear it. "I think you must have the wrong chart. I'm not Mrs. Smith."

"Donna Smith? Born February 3, 1970?"

"Yeah, that's me, but my last name's not Smith."

"I very much doubt that. Your husband's been relentless about your care. He just popped out for a cup of tea, he'll be back directly."

"My what?", Donna screeched.

The Doctor cringed. That was not an auspicious start.

"Your husband. Mrs. Smith, don't you remember your husband?," asked Martha, pitch perfect at playing this like a surprise.

Donna shook her head.

"You had an accident and hit your head. We were afraid there might have been some memory loss. Tell me, what day is it?"

Donna struggled. "I don't know. Friday?"

"Okay, what year is it?"

"Two thousand and six."

The Doctor was at least consoled that the mind wipe had done it's job.

"What year is it?", Donna asked in alarm.

"Now, Mrs. Smith, please don't stress yourself. I'm sure your memory will come back eventually, but don't force it by any means."

"Just tell me what year it is!"

Martha took a moment. "It's two thousand and eight."

"That can't be right," said Donna as she shook her head.

"Shall I get you the newspaper?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"The newspaper!," Jack shouted. "Has she lost her mind?!"

Ianto fumbled for the nearby paper. "Daleks, planets, Daleks, dead PM, ah, yes, sport." He separated it from the rest of the paper.

"She's getting up," said Mickey.

The Doctor stared. Donna was walking towards the window.

"She's looking out the window!," Mickey said like it was a crisis.

"She was going to look out the window eventually," said Ianto.

"Just wait," said Jack.

Martha entered. Ianto handed her the Sport section.

"Why would you offer her the paper?!," Jack shouted.

The Doctor watched as Donna's hand grazed her belly. His breath hitched and then she ran towards the toilet.

"That does not look good," said Mickey.

"Hurry back, Martha," said Jack.

Martha rushed off and they watched as she hurried back in the room.

"Mrs. Smith?" Martha entered and quickened her pace towards the bathroom. "Mrs. Smith, are you alright?"

They could hear Donna shout. "I have my head in a toilet and I'm in hospital! Do I seem alright?"

Martha helped Donna back.

"Almost time for your entrance," said Jack.

"Here," said Ianto handing him a cup of tea.

"What's this for?," asked the Doctor.

"Martha said you went for a tea. You have to show up with tea."

"Go, go, go," said Jack shoving him out of the door as if he were parachuting.

* * *

The Doctor took a breath. John Smith. He could do this. He had been John Smith before although that was in 1913. He decided it would be fine so long as he respected Donna's right to vote. He tried to search through all the tips he had been given, but found he couldn't remember them or they didn't make sense.

He was John Smith. He loved Donna Noble.

Smith. Her surname was Smith now.

He opened the door.

"Yep, nice cuppa. Not bad. You're awake!"

The Doctor turned to look at Donna. He was not what she was expecting. Wait, no. She looked angry. Why was she angry? Why would Donna be angry?

"Something wrong, sweetheart?"

"Don't sweetheart me!", she snapped. "You can't just burst into people's rooms like that! Get out!"

The Doctor's face dropped. He had been hoping for a slightly better reaction.

Martha interceded. "Mrs. Smith, this is Mr. Smith."

She looked at him, investigating him more thoroughly following their formal introduction. She turned back to Martha. "Are you serious?"

This wasn't going great. Martha started giving doctor babble and the Doctor joined her. He could babble with the best of them. Donna kept looking at him.

"I'm going to leave you two. Is that alright, Mrs. Smith?"

Donna regarded him again. The Doctor silently prayed for her to say yes.

"Yeah, it's fine I guess."

Martha promised to return and the Doctor turned back towards Donna.

"Do you need anything?," he asked.

"What?"

"I don't know. You've been unconscious. Do you want some tea or something? Banana?"

"Why would I want a banana?"

"I don't know. It's just a thing. It's some-thing."

"Sorry. What's your name?"

"John."

"John, right." Donna paused. "Wait. Your name is John Smith?"

"Yeah."

"Your name is actually John Smith? People actually get named John Smith?"

Yeah, as far as fake names went, it wasn't brilliant, was it?

"Do you have any questions or anything?", he asked.

"Oh, loads."

At that moment, the Doctor noticed the telly. It was going to be a news report about the planets.

"Oh, no, look at that picture quality."

"What?," asked Donna.

"I'll just sort that." The Doctor leapt up on the bureau and reached for the sonic, then realizing it was in his jacket and he couldn't use it in front of Donna anyway.

"What are you doing?," asked Donna.

"The cable is definitely going out," said the Doctor.

"Well, isn't there someone in maintenance?"

The Doctor began unscrewing things and crossing wires. "Oh, no. I'm very handy. I do this sort of thing all the time." He continued rearranging them, he was trying to fix the channel to BBC Children's. He caught a reflection in the window and realized something.

Donna was looking at his bum.

She had said that, that on the day they met she had stolen a look at his bum. He couldn't help but grin.

He hopped down from the bureau. "There. Good as new. Ought to give you no more problems."

"So, those loads of questions... were you going to ask any?"

He watched as she searched for a question. "Uh, are you a West Ham supporter?"

West Ham! Count on Donna to ask about West Ham! Unfortunately, he had been informed that he was not a football fan as he didn't have a clue about it. Too bad, really. He could have impressed Donna with all his West Ham knowledge, like their mascot was... Blimey. Mickey had a point. "Oh, football! You mean football! Not much for football, I'm afraid. Cricket's always been my game."

She looked disappointed. "Well, at least you're not a Tottenham supporter."

"Passed inspection so far. Go on, give me the next one." Come on, Donna, give me something you'll like, he begged silently.

Just then Wilf entered. Donna threw her arms around him.

"Um, is Sylvia coming?," he asked.

"I think I lost her in reception. You might want to go find her."

"Right. I'll be right back, sweetheart."

The Doctor went in the hallway, following Sylvia's voice all the way back to the Torchwood room.

"Sylvia-" said Jack.

"Mrs. Noble, thank you!"

The Doctor entered. "What's the problem?"

Sylvia turned. "You. You're the problem. I still can't believe you're foolish enough to put my daughter's life at risk."

"She's my wife," the Doctor said tersely, tiring of having this conversation again. "And my daughter is at stake as well and Donna asked me- no, begged me- to do this because she doesn't want to lose her daughter, either. Do you know what that would do to a Time Lord child? Losing her mother in infancy? She would carry those scars her whole life and do you think Donna would be alright? Because I don't think she would! So, are you gonna help or not? I'd just like to know which."

"If this goes badly, I'll blame you."

"Oh, Sylvia, I am so far ahead of you."

"Oh, look who I found!", said the Doctor.

Donna and Wilf looked up to see Sylvia. She was stiff and scowling. The Doctor caught sight of Donna rolling her eyes. This was nothing new.

"I just think you should know up front that I hate your husband.

Donna nodded, it didn't seem to be a deal breaker which the Doctor found fortunate to say the least. "Hello, Mum. Where's Dad?"

Wilf. Sylvia and the Doctor looked at each other.

"What?", asked Donna. "Is he at a football match or something?"

The Doctor realized he had mucked that bit up. Her dad. Everything from the last two years had to go and this was the one thing they were actually going to tell her. "I'm sorry, Donna. I should have told you earlier, but I forgot."

"Your father died, Donna.", said Sylvia.

Donna was in shock. "What? How? When?"

"He had a heart attack last year," Sylvia said tearfully.

"Oh, my God." Donna didn't look to be taking it well. She was distraught, her form sinking lower and lower.

"Donna..."

He put his hand on her shoulder, holding it. She turned to look at him as if she was surprised he was there. Oh, what he would give to have her want him there. She was staring at him like a deer in headlight.

He hugged her. If that wasn't doing the job for her, it was certainly what he needed.

They made it through the rest of the visit, just. Sylvia was trying to throw a wrench in the proceedings to say the least, even offering to have Donna come stay at home since she couldn't remember "John." Wilf managed to stay ahead of it, vouching for him. Donna had a look that the Doctor knew meant she thought it was typical. They eventually left and the Doctor found himself watching Donna eat. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?", she asked.

"I'm fine."

She looked at him again, clearly searching for the next topic of conversation with the husband she just met.

"Don't you want to get headed home?"

He furrowed his brow. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Well, what, have you been sleeping here? How long? Since I've been in hospital?" She sounded as if it was impossible.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why?" The Doctor wanted to scream. This was the old Donna, who, while decidedly brilliant, didn't know she was brilliant and was suspicious when anyone else alluded to it. The Doctor chose his next words carefully. "I've wanted to be near you. I'm too used to you now, I love you. Of course I want to be near you."

She was staring at him, trying to figure him out. She didn't believe him.

The Doctor leaned forward. "I know you don't remember meeting me before today, but if you should know one thing about me it's that I love you."

"How do you get them to let you stay overnight in the ward?," she asked changing the subject.

"I have connections."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a freelance consultant. I go around to different firms and consult." Ianto had said that would be best since no one seemed to have a clue what consultants actually did.

"Consult on what?"

"Security issues, mainly. Sometimes environmental matters. Whatever, really. We travel a lot, though. That's our... thing."

"We travel?," she asked. Her eyes lit up.

"Yes."

"I haven't really traveled. I just booked a package holiday to Spain, but I guess I went already. Or didn't."

"Wibbly wobbly..."

"What?"

Right. No wibbly wobbly. No timey wimey. "Never mind. You went, though, but you've been to lots of places since. To the end of the world and back."

"I don't remember, though."

The Doctor shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We can do it all again. You should get some sleep."

The Doctor waited until Donna fell asleep and sighed in relief. He needed her back.

* * *

The Doctor awoke to find he was being crushed.

He had gone to bed next to Donna. He now found Zara was squeezed between them. Chloe was on his chest with her arms around his shoulders. Geoffrey had managed to crawl on top of Donna and was snuggling against her chest. Esther was laying on his legs, snoring away.

He realized Donna was awake. He reached over Zara and tapped her arm. She looked over and smiled.

"When did Geoffrey start crawling out of the cot?," he asked.

"Tonight, I suppose. He's growing up."

"I hate when they do that."

"Oh, stop it."

"I do."

"We can get more where they came from," teased Donna.

"You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it! Obviously not tonight, though," she said motioning at the crowd.

"The TARDIS needs to lock the door."

"Please. You know she can't refuse them." Donna reached over Zara and took his hand.

"What's wrong?," he asked.

"I was just wondering... what might have happened if you didn't get the idea to have Zara. Where I'd be now. Where you'd be."

"Not here," the Doctor concluded.

"No," Donna agreed.

"Or where we might be if you hadn't gotten the idea on that beach-"

"Oi! They could wake up!" She smiled. "Or if you hadn't said 'I didn't mean the detox.'"

"What if you hadn't kissed me?"

"What if I hadn't-"

"Turned left?," he finished.

Donna nodded. The Doctor kissed her hand since it was all he could get to. "You did, though and look how it worked out."

"Yeah," Donna agreed. She surveyed the three tiny heads with them. "It's worked out pretty well."

They then watched as Zara still sleeping managed to link her arms around her parents' arms.

"We're trapped," said Donna.

"Yes," agreed the Doctor, "it's not bad."

* * *

Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, which you might have noticed. Anyway, thanks for the reads. I hope you enjoyed it, I sort of did. If somehow you have gotten to the end of this story without having read Regarding Mrs Smith, the good news for you is you can go read Regarding Mrs Smith now. As for everyone else, I should have something else very soon on a much more lighthearted note. If you did enjoy it, I would love to hear from you, even if it's been like a year. Thanks again!


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